The Celtics blew a 10-point lead in the final four minutes of regulation, leading to a disastrous 129-120 loss to the undermanned Nets in overtime at the TD Garden on Tuesday night. Caris LaVert erupted for 51 points for the visitors, willing the Nets back from a 21-point deficit by helping the Nets pile up 51 points in the fourth quarter against a Celtics team that was down Jayson Tatum (illness), Gordon Hayward (knee) and Jaylen Brown (hamstring) by the final minutes. With Kemba Walker stuck on a minutes limit, the Celtics were forced to play an all-bench unit in OT essentially while Brooklyn outscored them 11-2. Easily the ugliest loss of the season for Boston.
WHO: Celtics (41-18) vs. Rockets (38-20)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: TD Garden
RADIO: 105.7 WROR
TV: NBC Sports Boston
Celtics
PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Marcus Smart
PF: Gordon Hayward
C: Daniel Theis
Nets
G: Spencer Dinwiddie
G: Caris LaVert
F: Joe Harris
F: Taurean Prince
C: Jarrett Allen
Pregame Notes
- Kemba Walker will be back in the Celtics lineup for the first time following the All-Star Break. The Celtics went 3-2 in games he missed due to a knee injection. He is expected to be on a minutes limit in his return and miss the second half of a back-to-back in Cleveland on Wednesday to help ease his way back into the lineup.
- Jayson Tatum will miss just his fifth game of the season due to illness on his 23rd birthday. Tatum was awarded the East Player of the Month before the game after averaging 30 ppg in February. Marcus Smart sat out practice on Monday but is expected to play.
- The Nets have lost four straight games overall and seven straight in Boston dating back to the 2015-16 season.
- Brooklyn is healthy beyond stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant who have both been ruled out for the season. The Nets remain in the No. 8 spot in the East despite a floundering 25-33 record.