FINAL: Celtics 115, Nets 114 - Celtics win it on buzzer-beating Tatum layup

Here's all that really needs to be said:

ROUND 1, GAME 1
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Brooklyn Nets
TD Garden
3:30 PM - ABC

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

Boston: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Daniel Theis

Brooklyn: Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Bruce Brown, Kevin Durant, Andre Drummond

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

- Robert Williams remains out

“(He’s) progressing nicely. Doing a little bit more every day,” Ime Udoka said. “On-court work now. But as I’ve said all along we’re preparing to play this series without him, understanding that if we’re surprised by something, great, but we feel like we have enough with what we have now. Obviously he’s a huge piece to that but not thinking he’s coming back any time sooner than the time frame they gave us.”

- Joe Harris (ankle) and Ben Simmons (back/return to competition reconditioning) are out for Brooklyn

- Boston is favored by 4

THREE THINGS TO WATCH FOR

1. Rust vs. Rest: The Celtics have been off for a week, which does bring up the valid question of being a little rusty on the floor to start the game.”

“I think, yeah, that's something that's realistic,” Horford said. “It's been a week, but we've had some good practices this week. But that's always a factor, you always wonder about that. But the biggest thing for us is making sure we come out with good energy and locked in on the things we need to do.”

Udoka is less concerned about it. 

“The vibe of the team is like business, more ready to get to what we’ve been waiting for, but it’s not nervousness or anxiousness,” he said “It’s different than All-Star break - we haven’t had that for awhile, but it’s needed for the rest and preparation. We have a nice calm about us, but I don’t feel like we’re going to be nervous or anxious at all. But I’m good to go, and I think our team is as well.”

2. Who’s taking the shots? Can Brooklyn effectively minimize Tatum and/or Brown by pushing the ball into the hands of Smart, Grant Williams, and Derrick White? If Tatum gives the ball up, what’s he doing to get the ball back? What do the Celtics have planned to get Tatum the ball back after he’s blitzed? 

We know that Brooklyn doesn’t want Tatum to kill them, what’s Boston going to do to have him do it anyway? 

3. What tricks does Udoka have up his sleeve? I very well could be wrong here, but I feel like the Celtics coaches have something new to throw at the Nets. The question is whether they drop that bomb right away, or if they see how just doing what they have done works. I have a feeling that Udoka is just going to roll with how things have worked so far, and if Durant and Irving are still going nuts, then he’ll come up with a new wrinkle. 

GAME THREAD

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