Celtics (31-16) vs Nets (4-44)
Game time: 7:30pm, TD Garden. TV - CSN. Radio - WEEI-AM (850).
Team Leaders
Scoring
Bos: Pierce - 18.9 Nets: Brook Lopez - 18.9
Rebounding
Bos: Perkins - 8.3 Nets: Lopez - 9.2
Assists
Bos: Rondo - 9.8 Nets: Devin Harris - 6.2
Who'll go off: Rajon Rondo. Is there a player on the Nets roster who can prevent him from getting to the rim? And once Brook Lopez comes over to help, the dimes to Perk and KG will start accumulating.
Who needs to be stopped: Brook Lopez is averaging 20.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg in two games vs Boston this season. Fortunately, the Celtics have enough big bodies should Perk succumb to foul trouble. While Devin Harris has underachieved terribly this year, he has played well his last two games (19.5 ppg, 11 apg).
The C's will lose if... Bill Walker, Brian Scalabrine, Eddie House and Shelden Williams start and play 40 minutes. Seriously, there's really no way the Celtics can lose this game, even with Paul Pierce wearing a suit.
Miscellaneous: The Celtics are 2-0 against New Jersey this season, and led 71-35 at halftime of the last meeting - a 111-87 win Jan. 13 in which no Celtics player logged 30 minutes.The Nets lost their fourth in a row Wednesday, 108-99 at Toronto. Keyon Dooling (sore hip flexor) is questionable.
Prediction: Celtics 99 - Nets 77
Happy Friday everyone. Let's celebrate with random pictures of Victoria Secret supermodel Miranda Kerr...