The Boston Celtics (2-1) and Brooklyn Nets (1-2) face each other in a 2016-2017 NBA Preseason match at the Barclays Center in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 13.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
The Celtics and Nets both had played three games in the preseason so far and have had a fair amount of success in what they are trying to achieve in preparation for the opening of the new season later this month.
Boston won two of their three games, both against the Charlotte Hornets, with the last one ending in a 104-86 victory at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on Oct. 8.
Regular starters Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, Avery Bradley, and Amir Johnson were all rested by head coach Brad Stevens with only Jae Crowder suiting up to start at the small forward spot.
In place of the four were Marcus Smart, Tyler Zeller, Gerald Green, and rookie Jaylen Brown, who played the most minutes with 27 but only contributed four points on 2-for-10 shooting from the field.
Zeller scored 14 while veteran Green netted 13 in a not so efficient showing. The best player of the night for the Celtics was Smart, who scored nine points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished off five assists in 25 minutes.
Impressive off the bench was power forward Jordan Mickey, who is last year's 33rd overall pick. He fired 16 points on 8-for-10 shooting and had six boards and two assists in 22 minutes of playing time.
Meanwhile, the Nets have lost two of their three games so far as head coach Kenny Atkinson continued to experiment different lineup combinations ahead of the new season.
Their last game was a 121-100 loss to the Miami Heat on the road at the American Airlines Arena on Tuesday.
Jeremy Lin, Trevor Booker, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson started for the Nets as usual, but Brook Lopez and Randy Foye were not fielded in by Atkinson in the game.
In their place were third-year players Justin Hamilton and Joe Harris who both contributed double figures in scoring with 12 and 10 points respectively.
Lin continued his impressive preseason by scoring a team-high 16 points while also grabbing three boards and handing out five assists. He shot 5-for-8 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and a 4-for-5 stint from the free throw line.
Prediction
A close game as both clubs are evenly-matched and it depends on who the available players are. If Lin plays and the Celtics continue to use their second unit as starters, then the Nets will prevail in a tight contest.
