Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics 4/20/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics Matchup Preview (4/20/22)

The Brooklyn Nets (0-1) will get another chance against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the First Round. The Nets lost 115-114 to a Jayson Tatum buzzer-beater layup. Kyrie Irving stole the show with 39 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals on 6/10 from three. Kevin Durant looked mortal against this Celtics defense, going for 23 points and 6 turnovers on 9/24 from the field. Seth Curry scored 9 points and was 1/4 from three, while Bruce Brown Jr added 5 points. Andre Drummond struggled against this Celtics frontcourt to the tune of 8 points and 4 rebounds. The only double digit scorer besides their big two was Goran Dragic, who chipped in 14 points off the bench. Brooklyn shot a 53.8 FG% and 45.8 3PT%, but they were crushed on the boards and committed too many turnovers. They lost a golden opportunity to steal Game 1 because of their lack of size and discipline. 

The balanced Celtics saw four players score 20+ points. Jayson Tatum led the way with 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists on 50 FG%. More importantly, he was able to get to the free throw line 12 times and hit 10 of them. Jaylen Brown contributed 23 points, but his defensive presence was felt through 4 steals and 2 blocks. Marcus Smart played like a true point guard and excelled. He added 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists while going 4/9 from deep. The final 20-point scorer was veteran Al Horford, who dominated down low through 20 points and 15 rebounds. Off the bench, trade deadline acquisition Derrick White played well with 7 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Even though Boston didn’t shoot the lights out, they grabbed 9 more offensive rebounds and were +2 in turnovers. 

Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds

Brooklyn covered the spread in Game 1, which was -4.5 Celtics. The total ended up at 229 points, which was over the set line of 226.5 points. In Game 2, the spread is -3.5 Celtics, and the over under is 226 points. I like the Celtics to win this game by 5-8 points and cover the spread. They are more balanced than the Nets, have better chemistry, and own the far better defense. Brooklyn will always have a chance considering they roster Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but this Boston team looks motivated and deadly on both ends. Shooting comes and goes throughout a series, but rebounding is a constant. The Celtics were killing the Nets on the offensive glass while ending Nets possessions quickly by grabbing the defensive rebound. The offenses are about equal to me when they are at their peaks, but there is no getting around the fact that the Celtics are a far better defensive team than the Nets. 

TV Schedule

Date: 4/20/22
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Arena: TD Garden – Boston, MA
Channel: TNT, NBSB

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Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup

PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Seth Curry
SF: Bruce Brown Jr
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Andre Drummond

Brooklyn Nets Analysis

Kyrie Irving went nuclear on the Celtics despite their suffocating defense. Smart forced Kyrie into tough contested shots often, but Irving was simply making them. Boston ended up doubling Kyrie when he penetrated the paint and left Tatum to guard Durant straight up. This strategy worked because Durant played a terrible game. However, if Kyrie and Durant are both hitting shots, the Celtics cannot double both. Brooklyn is not going to win this series if Durant doesn’t improve his level of play. The Nets offense stalled at times because there were too many isolation possessions. They need to get the ball moving and find Seth Curry running off screens or a cutting Brown Jr. Asking their duo to create their own shot off the dribble every possession is a recipe for disaster against this elite defense. 

The most urgent adjustment the Nets need to make is in regards to their interior presence. The Nets cannot allow the Celtics to dominate the boards on both ends of the court. Eventually, it will catch up to the Nets and lose them the game when they shoot better but the Celtics took 12 more shots. Drummond’s best trait is his rebounding, but he struggled with Horford. When Daniel Theis was in the game, he was often being boxed out by Bruce Brown Jr or Seth Curry. Theis went around or through them without too much of a hassle to secure the rebound. It will be extremely difficult to beat the Celtics in a series when the Nets have a worse defense and cannot control the boards. If Boston starts the Theis/Horford combination again, do the Nets substitute Claxton for Brown Jr? The offense would suffer, but the defense and rebounding would improve. If the Nets make this move, they would be relying on Durant and Irving to score an efficient 30 points while facing constant help defense. 

Boston Celtics Starting Lineup

PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Al Horford
C: Daniel Theis

Boston Celtics Analysis

What a game for the Celtics! Even though they didn’t have Robert Williams, they still forced turnovers and stifled the Nets offense. Game 1 was one of the best two-way games Horford has played in years. Tatum contested Durant’s shots all night, while Jaylen Brown played tremendous help defense. Boston looked energized and fully committed to defense. On offense, the ball movement was excellent. The Celtics turned their season around in large part because Smart and Tatum committed to limiting their isolation hero ball. The game winner was the culmination of this style change. Everyone, including the Celtics players, thought Smart was going to take that midrange shot. However, he made a superb find to a cutting Tatum with a much higher percentage shot. 

Grant Williams and Daniel Theis are the unsung heroes for the Celtics. Their size and defensive versatility allow Boston to pummel the Nets in the paint. Williams doesn’t sacrifice spacing either, as he shot 41.1 3PT% on 3.4 3PA. Theis found himself in foul trouble early; he needs to stay disciplined. The Celtics are fantastic at forcing turnovers and contesting shots, but they cannot overreach and foul. If Durant and Kyrie score 30 each on difficult shots, then so be it. Boston cannot bail them out by sending the duo to the charity stripe. Boston’s goal should be to defend without fouling.