For the second straight season, the No. 2 vs. No. 7 seed matchup in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs will feature the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets. This time around, however, it's the Celtics who are the two seed, have homecourt advantage and are the (slight) betting favorites.
With Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant leading the way, this matchup will feature an incredible amount of individual talent. There's also the rematch factor and a real connection between these two teams through Kyrie Irving. Add in the expected competitiveness and the injury drama on both sides (Ben Simmons and Robert Williams III trying to make comebacks), and this is easily the most anticipated first-round series.
Game 1 is set for the main afternoon slot on ABC on Sunday, and both teams will treat it as a must-win. With a series that could take all seven games, jumping out to the early lead is going to be crucial. Before tip-off, here's everything you need to know:
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Brooklyn Nets
- When: Sunday, April 17 | 3:30 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden -- Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: ABC | Live stream: Watch ESPN
- Odds: BOS -170; BKN +145; O/U 224 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Celtics: The Celtics got off to a disappointing start this season, and were still under .500 in late January. Things could have spiraled, but, instead, they got some key additions at the trade deadline and turned into one of the best teams in the league. They closed on a 26-6 run, finished with the best defense in the league and earned the No. 2 seed in the East. With Jayson Tatum playing the best basketball of his career, and an elite defense alongside him, this team is a serious contender. They are missing a big piece in Robert Williams III, however, and beating the Nets without him will be tough.
Nets: Simply put, this season did not go to plan for the Nets. Kyrie Irving was a part-time player for most of the regular season; James Harden forced his way out of town; they traded Harden for Ben Simmons, who still hasn't played due to a back injury but might try to return later in this series; Kevin Durant was limited to 55 games due to a knee injury. They were decidedly terrible at times and had to get through the play-in tournament just to make the playoffs. But for as bad as things have been, they have a healthy Durant and Irving heading into the postseason, and that might just be enough.
Prediction
The Celtics are slight favorites to win this series, and also slight favorites to win Game 1. We're going to ride with them. They are at home, have a much better defense and have been playing electric basketball over the past few months. Pick: Celtics -4
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/celtics-vs-nets-live-stream-watch-nba-playoffs-tv-channel-game-1-tip-time-prediction-odds-line/
2022-04-17 04:06:30Z
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