Boston Celtics: 3 of the toughest games of the 2021-22 season

The Brooklyn Nets pose the biggest threat to Boston in the Eastern Conference

The Boston Celtics’ next test will come a few months later, when they play their division rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, on the road after eight days off. Now, for a team that is set to lead the NBA in back-to-backs, having eight days out may seem like a good thing, and it is in most cases. Player’s get time to rest and recover, coaches have more time to game-plan, and executives have more time to figure out who they’re going to target at the trade deadline.

The downside of long breaks is they can make the team stagnant. Groups that come off long leaves have a terrible track record because players come back unready to play. If the Boston Celtics line up against the Brooklyn Nets and aren’t ready to play, they will be demoralized and drop in the standings.

There’s no doubt if both teams are sharp and healthy, the Nets will be favored. They’re likely going to finish above the Cs in the standings and play the season out as the better team regardless of the standings.

However, that doesn’t mean the Celts should sit back and accept their loss. Prying wins off superteams like the Nets is no easy feat, but it’s not impossible either. The Celtics must come out of their break hungry and ready to compete, and if they’re lucky, the Nets will come out flat-footed.

Regardless of the result, expect the Nets and the Celtics to produce some of the best games of the NBA season, assuming both squads are fully healthy.