Boston Celtics-Brooklyn Nets Christmas Day game preview (12/25)

Everything you need to know about ahead of the Celtics-Bucks rematch.

The Boston Celtics play host to the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden for the two team’s Christmas Day tilt, a re-enactment of sorts of their Dec. 18 preseason meeting — though this outcome will of course affect the regular season standings.

The Nets will be fully healthy for the contest, while the Celtics are without point guard Kemba Walker (knee), wing Romeo Langford (wrist) and two way big man Tacko Fall (eye irritation) for the contest, set to tip off at 5pm ET. It will be Boston’s 34th game on Christmas Day in franchise history, and fourth in a row in recent years, while it is the Nets’ first game on such a day since 2013.

Brooklyn dominated a sloppy, disconnected Boston squad 113 – 89 in their preseason meeting last Friday, and went on to similarly smash the Golden State Warriors 125- 99.

Boston has since regrouped in a big way, beating Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks 122 – 121 in their season opener on Dec. 23.

This contest has legitimate upset potential for the favored Nets, but it will require a similar effort to that which produced the first two-player 30-point opening game from star wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to make it possible.

The Celtics will also need solid if not excellent games from newly-signed veterans Jeff Teague and Tristan Thompson, and continued production off of the bench from rotation players hungry to secure a spot on Boston’s roster beyond the trade deadline.

Watch to see if rookie point guard Payton Pritchard continues to get a chance to earn minutes after solid if not especially impactful minutes in the season opener, as well as whether rookie wing Aaron Nesmith gets his NBA debut out of the way.

If you have not already, be sure to check out our detailed injury report, all the betting info you’ll need for the game, and if you don’t already know how you’ll be watching, we’ve got you covered there too.

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