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NBA action is only just returning and the fans are already set to be treated to a blockbuster matchup between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
Prior to the midseason break, both sides were among the league's in-form teams. The Brooklyn Nets had won 9 of their last 10 matches, while the Boston Celtics were on a four-game winning run that included victories over the LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors.
On Christmas Day, the Brooklyn Nets dominated Boston with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combining for 66 points in a 123-95 win. The latter may still be sidelined for this game with no up-to-date injury news on the former MVP available at the time of writing. Brooklyn's offense is devastating, and the Boston Celtics will be hoping Durant is absent if they are to succeed at the Barclays Center.
Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets- 3 key matchups
With four scorers available for the matchup on Thursday, fans can expect an exciting contest. James Harden and Kyrie Irving have been brilliant on offense for the Brooklyn Nets since KD was sidelined with a hamstring injury and Steve Nash's side currently lead the league in offensive efficiency with 117.3 points per night.
To help contain Brooklyn's offensive might, the Boston Celtics will be hoping their defensive leader Marcus Smart will make a return. In Smart's absence, the Celtics defense has fallen to 17th in the league.
Another player hoping to take the floor could be Brooklyn Nets' new signing Blake Griffin. With KD likely to be out, we have instead put Griffin in at forward in our key matchups. Let's take a look at who he will face up against as well as the other key battles for fans to enjoy on the night.
#3 Jayson Tatum vs Blake Griffin
Bruce Brown Jr. has performed increasingly well for the Brooklyn Nets as replacement for Kevin Durant. However, for the arrival of Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics, Steve Nash may look to use size and experience over Brown.
The Brooklyn Nets just added to their immensely strong roster by bringing in Blake Griffin who could make his debut on Thursday night as a more traditional power forward. At 6"9', Griffin can compete more evenly with the athletic Tatum, though he struggled for consistency this season with the Pistons.
His points per night are at a career-low 12.3, though it is a fact that Griffin didn't want to be in Detroit, just as Harden didn't want to be in Houston. Could we see a revival of the old Blake with the Brooklyn Nets?
If the Brooklyn Nets new signing is given a start, he will have to contain the electric Jayson Tatum. At 23-years old, Tatum is already the Boston Celtics' leader on offense, averaging 24.9 points per game while grabbing 7.1 rebounds. If the Cs are to come away from Brooklyn with anything, Tatum will have to put in another outstanding performance.
#2 Kemba Walker vs Kyrie Irving
Fans will be able to enjoy a battle of elite ball-handlers on Thursday as Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving face off. Despite being sidelined early in the season and struggling to immediately return to form, Walker has dramatically upped his offensive output recently, proving he can be the 3rd scoring option for the Boston Celtics.
In Boston's 4-game winning run prior to the All-Star break, Walker was averaging 23.2 points and 6.5 assists per night. Although his offensive rating is lower than it has been for the past 5 seasons, the Boston Celtics will be hoping Walker's recent showings can continue to build toward the postseason. Against Kyrie Irving, Walker has lost 15 times compared to seven victories, though the two have been exceedingly close in points contributed during those matchups.
Kyrie Irving has been dazzling this season for the Brooklyn Nets and will expect to triumph against Walker and the Boston Celtics. Despite effectively giving up point duties to Harden, Irving is still making six assists per night and shoots at an exceedingly high clip - 51% - averaging 27.2 points.
Irving leads those at his position in the league in on-field goals made and ranks inside the top-5 for three-point shooting, draining close to his career-best with 41.1%.
#1 Jaylen Brown vs James Harden
Despite how enthralling this game is expected to be across the court, James Harden and Jaylen Brown taking on one another is our marquee matchup on the night. Both shooting guards were selected as All-Star reserves due to their serial scoring so far this season.
Jaylen Brown has, alongside Jayson Tatum, led the offensive charge for the Boston Celtics. By averaging 24.7 points a night on 49.5% of shooting from the field, the 24-year old is ranked inside the league's top-5 players in his position. His shooting is 3% above the NBA's average while he also dishes out a career-high 3.9 dimes per fixture.
Brown will have a tough night, as will the rest of the Boston Celtics while attempting to contain James Harden . The Beard is on fire, putting up MVP-calibre numbers and leads the league in assists, with 11.4 per night for the Brooklyn Nets.
In KD's absence, Harden has upped his offensive rating to 126, though has also proven his defensive efforts during this time. In 23 games for his new side, Harden is averaging 1.3 steals and a career-high 7.8 defensive rebounds per game.
