Boston @ Brooklyn preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 31, 2017 ) Brooklyn 105, Boston 108

The Brooklyn Nets have played the Boston Celtics tight this season and they enter the third matchup between the teams at home on a bit of a high note. The Nets, who lost a second-half lead in a seven-point loss to the Celtics earlier this season and then fell 108-105 at Boston on New Year's Eve, topped streaking Minnesota in dramatic fashion their last time out.

Spencer Dinwiddie's late jumper was the difference in the 98-97 win, the third in four games for Brooklyn with the lone loss in that span being the three-point setback to the Celtics. "Really proud of how the team's progressing and just showing a resiliency that I felt that we didn't have last year," coach Kenny Atkinson said after the win. "We felt last year we kind of crumbled in a situation like that where they made a run. We stayed together and really showed a lot of physical and mental toughness." That mindset will be imperative against Eastern Conference-leading Boston, which marched to its fifth straight win with a 91-84 triumph over Minnesota at home Friday night. After they leave Brooklyn, the Celtics have four days off before a matchup with Philadelphia in London and then four more days off before a return to action Jan. 16 at home against New Orleans.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, NBCS Boston, YES (Brooklyn)

ABOUT THE CELTICS (32-10): Reserve guards Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier have been providing a big boost of late, helping Boston overcome some pedestrian scoring efforts from some of its big guns. Smart had a team-high 18 points against Minnesota while Rozier followed up a 20-point effort in Wednesday's win over Cleveland with 14 points and a season high-tying nine rebounds. "Tonight was one of those games where every last one of us from the starters to the guys coming in off the bench were ready," Smart told reporters.

ABOUT THE NETS (15-23): Brooklyn has held opponents to an average of 93 points in its three wins over the last week, a departure from the norm for a team that entered Friday ranked 26th in the league in scoring defense (109.2). "We really got stops," Atkinson added after the win over the Timberwolves. "Our offense obviously wasn't pretty – some things didn't go our way, some calls didn't go our way, turnovers — we just went back on the defensive end and did a really good job." Dinwiddie's late jumper capped a career high-tying 26-point effort and Joe Harris had 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting off the bench.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nets G Caris LeVert (groin) missed Wednesday's win and is doubtful for this one.

2. Boston PG Kyrie Irving has been held under 20 points in back-to-back games after going for 20 or more in 11 straight contests.

3. The Celtics have won seven straight meetings.

PREDICTION: Celtics 101, Nets 99