The Brooklyn Nets play their fourth preseason game today against the Boston Celtics, and it’s a unique game in NBA history: in honor of the number of presidents in U.S. history, it’s the first time two teams will play a 44-minute contest, for the league to gather data on how such a game might work.
Each quarter will be shortened by one minute, with one fewer mandatory timeout in the second and fourth quarter. The league’s likely to take more notes about about game operation and running time than any rotational changes, since teams don’t run regular rotations in preseason.
Brook Lopez will not play for the Nets after suffering a mild right midfoot sprain during the team’s trip in China. Kevin Garnett, who played for the Celtics from 2008-2014, is questionable with a stomach virus. Since it’s preseason, he’s unlikely to play; even if he does, he’s played sparingly thus far in preseason, and likely won’t see many minutes.
