With Tuesday night’s win over the Washington Wizards, the Celtics officially punched their ticket to the 2021 NBA playoffs. Their first opponent? The Brooklyn Nets.
This series is a bit more of a draw than the typical 2/7 matchup. There’s sub-plots galore, including the Boston-New York rivalry, which has been exacerbated between these two teams in recent years with the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade in 2013.
Then of course, there’s the Kyrie Irving aspect. Despite now playing over 200 miles away, Irving’s presence has loomed large over the Celtics and their fans since his unceremonious departure in 2019. He’s missed a number of the Nets’ games in Boston since due to injuries, so his return to TD Garden is highly anticipated.
With all of that hype, the NBA has decided to make Game 1 between the Celtics and Nets one of the features of the first weekend of the playoffs. The teams will meet at the Barclays Center Saturday night for an 8:00 p.m. tip-off.
All Celtics playoff games can be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with pregame coverage starting 30 minutes before the game.
Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Celtics.
Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.