The Boston Celtics are aiming to bounce back from their first home loss of the season as they host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
The Celtics suffered their second loss of the campaign on Wednesday, falling 118-112 to the Golden State Warriors. Jayson Tatum, who had a relatively slow start under Steve Kerr during the Paris Olympics, scored 32 points, starting just 2-for-7 in the first half. Despite rallying from a 14-point deficit, Boston couldn’t complete the comeback. Derrick White added 26 points, and Neemias Queta contributed 14 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in a career-high 28 minutes off the bench.
The Celtics played their third consecutive game without Jaylen Brown due to a strained hip flexor, an injury that coach Joe Mazzulla isn’t overly concerned about. Luke Kornet experienced right hamstring tightness on Wednesday, adding to the team’s injury woes.
Queta, making his second career start against the Warriors, made a notable defensive impact in Brown’s absence.
The Nets, on the other hand, have been idle since a 106-104 home victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, marking their third win in four games and bringing them back to .500. Cam Johnson and Dennis Schroder each scored 20 points against Memphis, with Schroder also dishing out six assists.
Coach Jordi Fernandez is likely to field his healthiest lineup of the season on Friday, as both Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton practiced on Wednesday. Claxton made his first start on Monday since returning from a hamstring injury. Simmons, dealing with a back injury, sat out the second game of a back-to-back but had been playing center in Claxton’s absence.
Brooklyn is 2-0 in the second game of back-to-backs this season, a significant improvement from their 4-10 record in such games last season. Following their game in Boston, the Nets will travel to Cleveland for a Saturday showdown with the Cavaliers, who boast a 9-0 record heading into Friday’s game against Golden State.
