2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference: #6 Brooklyn Nets vs. #2 Boston Celtics
Tale of the Tape:
| Nets | STAT | Celtics |
| 44-38 | Record | 51-31 |
| 112.9 (9th) | Points Per Game | 111.8 (12th) |
| 112.1 (18th) | Points Allowed Per Game | 104.5 (1stth) |
| 6-4 | Last Ten | 7-3 |
| 20-21/24-17 | Home/Away Record | 28-13/23-18 |
| 11th | Pace of Play | 24th |
| 10th | Off Efficiency Rating | 9th |
| 20th | Def Efficiency Rating | 1st |
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Brooklyn leaders:
- Kevin Durant, PF. – 29.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 6.4 APG, 2.1 3PM/GM
- Kyrie Irving, PG. – 27.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 46.3% FG
- Seth Curry, G. – 15.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 48.5% FG, 42.2% 3p
Boston leaders:
- Jayson Tatum, F-G. – 26.9 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 4.4 APG, 45.3% FG
- Jaylen Brown, F-G. – 23.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 47.3% FG
- Marcus Smart, G. – 12.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.9 APG
Key Injuries:
- Robert Williams III, Boston: Knee (out)
- Ben Simmons, Brooklyn: Back (out)
- Joe Harris, Brooklyn: Ankle (Out)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings. For the latest odds, click here.
Odds, Lines, and more:
- Series Winner: Celtics -130
- Series Length: BOS Celtics 4-3 +320
- Series Total Games: 7 Games +175
Series Prediction:
Nets win the series 4-3 (*expecting Simmons to return for Game 4)
- The Boston Celtics are the favorite heading into this season, with a large swath of betters already taking Boston at -130 to win the series, but it’s hard to count out the Nets (+110) in this one due to the looming return of Ben Simmons. The point guard hasn’t played a single game for the Nest since he arrived in Brooklyn in February, but it seems more and more likely he will play a factor in this series. Keep your eyes on Game 4 as his potential return date, which would be a game-changer for the defensively challenged Nets. Simmons, while often criticized for his shooting, is known as a stalworth defender and would massively improve Brooklyn’s middle-of-the-road defensive efficiency. Simmons had a 106.1 defensive rating last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, which was tied for fourth-best, and with him in the lineup the Sixers had a 107.4 defensive rating.
- It’s also hard to count out a team with an offensive duo like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who have been on fire as the season came to a close. The two have put the Nets on their back on countless occasions during the stretch run of the season, including the closing games of the regular season and even in the play-in round win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving shot a perfect game up until the fourth quarter on Tuesday night and Durant had 25 points in the win over Cleveland. Durant also put 39 points in Brooklyn’s last meeting with Boston and over the course of his career has avered 26.1 points against them. Irving has averaged 23.9 points, 5.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 21 games versus the Celtics in his career.
- While it seems Robert Williams III may return during the series, for now, the Celtics will be without him on the floor which will be a tough loss. Bruce Brown ruffled some feathers with his comments about how the Nets can exploit that and he wasn’t wrong. Boston’s defensive rating is 103.4 when he was out and goes up to a 106.6 when he’s out there for them. He has averaged 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 73.6 percent from the field for Boston. Al Horford and Daniel Theis are plenty impactful in their own right, but not as much as Williams has been.
- This series will go the distance since these are two talented teams and the Nets, even with all their star power, remain a bit of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team with their inconsistencies at times. That being said with Simmons likely making his debut during the series and Irving and Durant on the court, it will be enough for the Nets to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
