Skip to content

Boston Celtics (30-39) at Brooklyn Nets (29-39), 7:30 p.m. (ET)

(SportsNetwork.com) - Two teams still fighting for their lives in the Eastern Conference playoff race square off Monday night when the Boston Celtics visit the Barclays Center to meet the Brooklyn Nets.

The Celtics are tied for ninth with the Indiana Pacers, a half-game behind the Charlotte Hornets. The Nets have won two straight and trail Charlotte by one game for the final playoff berth.

Brooklyn has taken four of its last five, including a 123-111 victory over the Pacers Saturday night. That came after a triple-overtime home win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

Brook Lopez scored 26 points to lead the Nets over the Pacers.

Bojan Bogdanovic contributed 21 points on 8-for-8 shooting off the bench and Deron Williams netted 17 for the Nets, who had lost their last five meetings with Indiana.

The Pacers used an extended 19-7 run that bridged halftime to tie the score at 70 five minutes into the third. They briefly took the lead moments after that on four straight points from Roy Hibbert, but Lopez scored the period's last three to put Brooklyn back in front, 88-87, after three.

Bogdanovic scored five during an 8-0 spurt to open the fourth and extend Brooklyn's lead to nine. It was back to one when Joe Johnson and Bogdanovic led a 10-2 run that put the game away.

"Everybody contributed tonight, and we were able to hold them off," said Nets coach Lionel Hollins.

The Celtics are reeling, the losers of three in a row. The funk got to three games on Sunday when they fell in overtime, at home to the Detroit Pistons, 105-97.

The Pistons scored the first seven points in the extra session and trailed for much of the game but evened the score with a minute to play and got two defensive stops to send the game to overtime.

Evan Turner finished with 23 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals, while Jae Crowder scored 19 and added seven boards. Turner missed a pair of jumpers in the final minute as the game went to overtime.

Detroit's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's jumper opened the extra period and Jodie Meeks followed on the next possession with a 3. Drummond then tipped in a shot to put the Pistons up seven.

"It shouldn't be crushing," said Boston coach Brad Stevens. "You should be able to respond to adversity."

Marcus Smart should be back in action Monday night after missing the Pistons game due to a suspension. He punched San Antonio's Matt Bonner in the groin on Friday night.

The Celtics have won two of three this season against the Nets, including a victory at the Barclays Center on Jan. 7. The Atlantic Division rivals split the last four meetings in Brooklyn.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox