Celtics at Nets
Among the Boston Celtics' goals for this season was to deliver as much damage to the Brooklyn Nets as possible, so losing the season series would qualify as a failure. The Celtics will try to avoid suffering that fate when they visit the Nets on Monday night in the last of the four encounters between the teams.
Boston owns Brooklyn's first-round pick this year - as well as several future selections - but it has dropped the last two encounters, including Saturday's 100-97 setback at home that capped a disappointing 1-2 homestand and prompted some soul-searching. "I mean, this is more on me," coach Brad Stevens told reporters. "We’ve had multiple times where we’re just not playing to the standard we need to play to. We’ve had multiple practices where certain guys have really looked good and stood out because others haven’t. And that’s just bad coaching." The Nets, who are beginning a stretch in which they play 17 of 23 games at home, will continue to rely on star center Brook Lopez, especially after losing point guard Jarrett Jack for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL. The big man had 30 points and 13 rebounds at Boston and has recorded four straight double-doubles while averaging 24.8 points and 12.8 boards.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN New England (Boston), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE CELTICS (18-15): Boston lost consecutive games on the homestand to a five-win Los Angeles Lakers team and the nine-win Nets, and there was talk that the squad was playing to the level of its competition. "We're definitely not one of the best teams in the NBA, so I don't get how we could possibly think it's OK to play down to anybody," said guard Isaiah Thomas, who had a team-high 24 points Saturday. "When we don't play hard and we're not the aggressive team, we're one of the worst teams in the NBA." Thomas' backcourt partner, Avery Bradley, suffered a hip contusion in the loss to the Nets and is expected to sit this one out.
ABOUT THE NETS (10-23): While Bradley recovers from what is considered a minor injury, Brooklyn will have to press on without Jack, who entered Sunday tied for sixth in the league in assists per game (7.4). Shane Larkin, who has two points on 0-of-6 shooting in 48 minutes over his last two games, is the next man up. Donald Sloan is the other point guard on the roster but he has played more than 10 minutes in a game six times this season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lopez is averaging 22.3 points and 10 rebounds in three games against Boston.
2. Boston was a combined 14-of-59 (23.7 percent) from 3-point range against the Lakers and Nets.
3. Celtics C Jared Sullinger is averaging 5.7 points on 30.4 percent shooting in a three-game span.