Inside The Celtics

There's a New Addition to Celtics' Injury Report Ahead of Hosting Nets

The Celtics aim to keep pace with the Bucks and take care of business vs. the Nets, who've lost four-straight games.

Bobby Krivitsky

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
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The Celtics are coming off a 117-113 win over the Cavaliers, in which Jayson Tatum poured in 41 points, helping Boston keep pace with the Bucks.

At 45-18, the defending Eastern Conference champions trail Milwaukee (45-17) by half a game in the standings.

Friday night, the Celtics host the Nets, aiming to, at worst, avoid losing ground on the Bucks in the battle for the one seed. Boston is 3-0 against Brooklyn this season.

What makes the regular-season finale between these two different from the previous three tilts is it's their first matchup since the Nets traded Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Through those deals, along with a bevy of draft picks, Brooklyn bolstered its perimeter defense, in particular, adding Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith to a group that already had Royce O'Neale and Ben Simmons, the latter of whose internal struggles have undermined his on-court ability.

However, the Nets have lost four-straight games, they're 2-8 in their last ten tilts, and they're yet to click defensively, evidenced by their latest loss, surrendering 142 points to the Knicks, who, led by Jalen Brunson's 30 points in the first half, put 81 on the board in the first 24 minutes.

As Brooklyn attempts to snap its losing streak, it may not have to worry about dealing with Boston's sixth man, Malcolm Brogdon, who popped up on the Celtics' injury report ahead of Friday's matchup, listed as probable due to right ankle soreness.

The former Rookie of the Year is averaging 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game this season. He's also nearly producing 50/40/90 splits, shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 46 percent from beyond the arc on 4.4 attempts, and 88.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Friday's Celtics-Nets game tips off at 7:30 pm EST; Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Update: Brogdon will not play in Friday's game against the Nets, per the Celtics.

Further Reading

Here are Three Interesting Prop Bets to Consider Ahead of Friday's Celtics-Nets Showdown

Jayson Tatum on Load Management: 'I Just Think About the Young Kid, the Kid Inside Me from St. Louis That Dreamed About Being in the NBA'

Joe Mazzulla Speaks on Decision to Bench Grant Williams

Joe Mazzulla Discusses How Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Set the Tone for the Celtics in Win Over Cavaliers

Jayson Tatum Shares the Keys to His 41-Point Performance in Celtics Win vs. Cavaliers

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Cavaliers: Jayson Tatum's 41-Point Performance Propels Boston to Bounce-Back Victory

A Top Celtics Free-Agent Target Signs Elsewhere, Where Does Boston Go from Here?

Jayson Tatum Unveils Jordan Tatum 1's

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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