Nets at Celtics
The Boston Celtics have extra incentive to win each of the four times they play the Brooklyn Nets this season, beginning with a matchup in Boston on Friday. The Celtics own the Nets' first-round picks in 2016 and 2018 (and can swap its pick with Brooklyn in 2017) and - given Brooklyn's 2-10 start - figure to get a lottery pick next spring.
Boston might be a bit angry, too, after blowing an 18-point lead in a 106-102 loss to Dallas on Wednesday. "I thought that we had too many spurts of not-urgent-enough play and that probably hurt us," Celtics coach Brad Stevens told the media. The setback snapped Boston's three-game winning streak and also put an end to a run of six straight contests decided by double digits. The Nets have been on the other end of that spectrum with seven consecutive single-digit outcomes (2-5), the latest a 116-111 loss at Charlotte on Wednesday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE NETS (2-10): Veteran Joe Johnson's struggles have been well-documented early on, but the former Celtics first-round selection has shown some signs of life in the past two games. Johnson followed up a 13-point, nine-assist, seven-rebound effort in a win over Atlanta on Tuesday with 16 points - his second-highest total of the season - against the Bobcats. He made a season-high three 3-pointers on seven attempts, a notable uptick for a guy who entered the contest 9-of-41 from long range for the league's worst 3-point shooting team (28.9 percent).
ABOUT THE CELTICS (6-5): Boston had been involved in so many runaway wins and losses that Wednesday's tight stretch run was a departure from the norm, and it showed. The Celtics had six of their 14 turnovers in the final 10-plus minutes, including three in a short span that allowed Dallas to turn a 91-91 game into a 100-94 lead, and Isaiah Thomas' giveaway with 10 seconds left was the nail in the coffin. Thomas was 1-of-8 from 3-point range and fellow starting guard Marcus Smart was 1-of-7 from the floor, falling to 2-of-18 since a breakout 26-point game Sunday at Oklahoma City.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets SF Thaddeus Young is averaging 23 points on 57.7 percent shooting over his last three games.
2. Celtics G Avery Bradley shot 52.7 percent - including 52.9 percent from 3-point distance - while averaging 18.3 points in four games against the Nets last season.
3. The teams have Saturday off before another meeting Sunday in Brooklyn.