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BROOKLYN — The Celtics could be without multiple starters when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. Derrick White (rest) has already been ruled out, and Neemias Queta was a Friday morning addition, listed as questionable to play as he deals with a non-COVID illness.
In addition, Josh Minott (left ankle sprain) continues to be sidelined, as does Jayson Tatum (ruptured Achilles tendon).
The Nets, meanwhile, will be without Haywood Highsmith, who is recovering from right knee surgery.
The Celtics enter the game with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 27-16, while the Nets have the third-worst at 12-30. The Celtics have the second-best net rating in the NBA (+7.6) while the Nets have the 5th-worst (-6.3).
The Celtics and Nets face off for the fourth time this season
The Celtics and the Nets have faced off twice this season, with each team coming away with one win. The Celtics are coming off a 15-point win over the Atlanta Hawks, while the Nets are fresh off a historic 54-point loss to the New York Knicks.
At Celtics shootaround in Brooklyn on Friday morning, Luka Garza said he expected the Nets to come out with energy after such a lopsided defeat. But, he also recalled the last time the Celtics and Nets faced off in November, the Nets came away with a 14-point win.
“I think every time a team takes a loss like that, you expect them to come out with a lot of energy, a lot of fire,” Garza said. “But for us, we also remember the last time we played them, and they beat our ass. So, we have a lot of motivation coming into tonight, too.”
