Game Time: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 8th, 2022 

Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

Where to Watch:  TNT

DraftKings:  Spread:  Celtics -3.5

BetMGM:  Spread:  NL

VegasInsider:  Spread:  Celtics -3.5; O/U 216.5

WynnBet: Spread:  Celtics -4; O/U 216.5

Celtics: 30-25, 8th place Eastern Conference

Nets: 29-24, 7th place Eastern Conference

An Eastern Conference all out war.  When #8 plays #7 in either conference there is a moment being created.  That moment is the point in time when a franchise could say “we avoided plunging out of relevance”... or “we stumbled into nothingness”.  Now I know both teams at 7 or 8 qualify for the playoffs… and there is some matter of the play-in tournament… but those are other matchups that create other moments.  What we know about this moment in time is that the winner will be in 7th and the loser will be in 8th… and psychologically that alone could end a season, end a player’s commitment, end a fan’s interest.  The Celtics will be meeting the Nets at the perfect moment.  The Nets are a tire fire about to work the trade deadline HARD.  The Celtics are off pace from recent seasons but still have two great players and a shot in the standings that give them a glimmer of hope.  The Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, and the Milwaukee Bucks are untouchable to the Celtics…it would take a lot of winning to catch them… ewr or even get them to care about you.  However the Brooklyn Nets at 7th and the Toronto Raptors at 6th are virtually tied.  A Celtics win here guarantees a level up to 7th and based on how the Raptors do in their next game… would also mean a level up to #6.  This is the game the Celtics have been waiting for with baited breath, clammy palms, and a partially wilted corsage in the rain.  This is the Celtics chance at getting back to being a team that matters… all in one 4 quarter battle.  The Celtics can rely on SF Jayson Tatum and SG Jaylen Brown for 50 ppg.  The question is can they rely on the ragtag group of role players they are surrounded by.  Especially since two of those guys SHOULD be in their last game in a Celtics jersey EVER, before Thursday’s trade deadline (PG Marcus Smart and ? + picks).   The Brooklyn Nets are hot garbage at the moment.  SF Kevin Durant, the best scorer in the game, will not play because of injury.  PG Kyrie Irving, still amazing, will not play because of flat earth thick headedness ( I hear that he is actually a nice, caring person).  SG James Harden MIGHT play because he is all the team has left… but remember the trade deadline is Thursday.  Deals are being worked on right now.  If the James Harden for Ben Simmons deal heats up?... James Harden might get pulled from the lineup…. Also if he plays he may jog about in a determined to lose manner… trying to force the trade (actually he is already doing that).  Soi what is left for the Nets?... Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  If the two teams play in the manner that I just described the Nets will have the top 4 players on the court.  It would be an absolute slaughter.  It still will… but it would be too.

The Boston Celtics are on a good run.  They started the season with a flop.  The perennial Finals contender of the last half decade quickly fell out of the top ten teams in the East and out of contention.  The problem was that 3 bad teams in the East were suddenly better.  It squeezed the Celtics out along with the Toronto Raptors.  They are turning things around though.  The Celtics are on a 5-game winning streak and have won 7 of their last ten games.  They aren’t running away with games as evidenced by their 5-5 ATS over the last ten… but they are winning.  Leading scorer SF Jayson Tatum 25.6 ppg is only the leading scorer by 1.7 ppg.  SG Jaylen Brown is right on his heels with 23.9 ppg.  There is a debate, but there shouldn’t be about who is more impactful or more necessary.  For the same reason you don’t split tens… The Celtics should not split these guys up.  They should listen to offers but not split these guys up.  The pieces they need to move on this roster is everyone else and those dumb draft picks gathering dust waiting to be used 2 years from now.  The writing is on the wall… Get these guys a BIG MAN that can seriously threaten the other team on the offensive end… OR get these guys a point guard who can manage a game on par with Chris Paul.  That is the solution for having two 25 ppg scorers.  Marcus Smart, Romeo Langford, Al Horford, Grant Williams, Josh Richardson, ROBERT WILLIAMS III, and whatever draft picks are on the ledger should only exist as a means to get Jaylen and Jayson what they need.  This isn’t the Los Angeles Lakers where the guys you are trading will end up being the literal stars of three other teams… This is a bunch of role players that represent expiring money and short term help.  Do like the Rolling Stones told ya and… get what you need.

The Brooklyn Nets are in a foxhole and completely out of bullets.  Corporal Harden is looking for his opportunity to desert.  They are on an 8-game losing streak… They haven’t won a game since mid-January and that opponent was the Sacramento Kings.  They have won 2 of their last 10 games.  They are 6-3-1 ATS.  During their 8-game losing stretch they lost to the Sacramento Kings and ATS 112-101.  What changed?  SF Kevin Durant went down with a possible season ending injury that is still murky.  The Nets have said he will be back in late February… but it is a sprained MCL.  This is Kevin Durant we are talking about.  A sprained MCL and knuckleheads for teammates could be reason enough for Kevin Durant to shut it all down and save the rest of his career.  In addition to SF Kevin Durant being out (which means the entire team is out) PG Kyrie Irving can’t play home games because… well you know he thinks the world is flat.  This has caused SG/PG James Harden to quit on his 3rd team. Harden does not want to sacrifice his game for a part time player (Irving) and he definitely does not want to give full effort to NOT win a Championship before he signs his last and final MAX contract.  They have nothing on the roster other than the three top guys.  Harden wants out.  Durant is out.  Irving is poison.  It’s really that simple.

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The Celtics are 30-25 on the season, but 27-27-1 ATS.  They have logged 22 Overs, 32 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are 12-15 in road games.

The Nets are 29-24 on the season, but 20-32-1 ATS.  They have notched 24 Overs, 28 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are 12-12 in home games.

The Celtics are 19th in scoring with 108.1 ppg, 3rd in rebounds with 46.5 per game, and 21st in AST/To ratio with 1.6.  They are shooting 22nd in FG%, 22nd in 3PT%, and 1st in FT%.  They shine on defense where they rank 4th while allowing 104 ppg.

The Nets are 10th in scoring with 111.3 ppg, 15th inm rebounds with 44.9 per game, and 10th in AST/TO 1.8.  They are shooting 5th in FG%, 16th in 3PT%, and 2nd in FT%. They are drowsy on defense where they rank 20th while allowing 110.8 ppg.

Our prediction for Tuesday, February 8th is….  Celtics 125 - Nets 99

That’s right.  The big trade is coming or it isn't. Either way the Nets will put no one on the court that wants to be there.  The result will be:s two 25 ppg Celtics scorers going for big games.   Also the rest of the Celtics will have a free lane to the hoop.  The Nets will be missing the top-6 players on their roster.  The result will be like an NBA exhibition against the Maine Red Claws of the G-League.

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Brooklyn is 63-48 ATS versus Boston since 1996.

Brooklyn is 6-0 ATS versus Boston at Brooklyn over the last 3 seasons.

(that won’t matter)

The Nets will be missing the top-6 players on their roster.  

Celtics: SG PJ Dozier (knee) Out ** C Bol Bol (foot) Out

Nets: SF Kevin Durant (MCL strain) Out indefinitely ** SG James Harden (hamstring?) Out ** PG Kyrie Irving (tantrum) Out ** PF Nic Claxton (hamstring) Quest ** SG Joe Harris (ankle) Out indefinitely ** C LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) Out ** PF Paul Milsap (personal) Out 

Celtics: SF Jayson Tatum, PF Al Horford, C Robert Williams III, SG Jaylen Brown, PG Marcus Smart

Nets: PF Kessler Edwards, SF James Johnson, C Blake Griffin, PG Patty Mills, SG Bruce Brown

Celtics

Points: Jayson Tatum 25.6

Assists: Marcus Smart 5.4

Rebounds: Robert Williams III 9.5

Steals: Marcus Smart 1.8

Blocks: Robert Williams III 2.2

Nets

Points: Kevin Durant 29.3 

Assists: James Harden 10.2

Rebounds: James Harden 8.0

Steals: James Harden 1.3

Blocks: Nic Claxton 1.1

Celtics: Ime Udoka

Nets: Steve Nash