Kyrie Irving scored 37 points in his first game against his former team on Christmas Day.
Celtics (19-17) at Nets (24-13)
• Brooklyn won the first meeting of these season, 123-95 on Christmas Day, behind 37 points from Kyrie Irving – in his first game against his former team — and 29 points from Kevin Durant. Three of Irving’s six highest scoring games this season have come against his former teams (37 at Boston, 37 at Cleveland on Jan. 20, 38 at Cleveland on Jan. 22).
• In the first meeting, Marcus Smart was the primary defender on Irving for a team-high 4:16 and allowed 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting. Smart is expected to make his return to the Celtics after being sidelined since Jan. 30 due to a calf strain. The Celtics have gone 9-9 without Smart; at the time of his injury he led the Celtics in assists (6.1 apg), steals (1.8 spg) and was their fourth-leading scorer (13.1 ppg).
• The Nets rank second in the league in 3-point percentage as they hit 40.7% of their shots from beyond the arc. Joe Harris is a huge boost to that mark as he leads the NBA in 3-point percentage coming out of the All-Star break at 50.6%. Harris has attempted 250 3-pointers so far this season and only 59 of those attempts have come with a player within four feet of him when he took the shot. He is shooting 107-for-191 (56%) on 3-pointers when the closest defender is more than four feet away.
• Boston entered the All-Star break riding a four-game win streak — tied for the longest active streak in the league — with all four wins coming at home and decided by seven points or less. Overall, the Celtics have won five straight at home, but lost six straight on the road — which is where they tip off the second half of the season Thursday in Brooklyn. The Celtics have averaged just 109.5 ppg on the road (23rd) compared to 114.2 at home (13th). The Nets lead the league in scoring regardless of location — 119.0 at home (1st) and 123.3 on the road (1st).
• The Nets rank second in the league in assists at 27.2 per game as they create a league-high 71.1 points per game off assists. James Harden has averaged a league-high 11.3 assists per game since joining the Nets, with Brooklyn shooting 53.1% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range off passes from Harden.
Stephen Curry (25.5 ppg) and Paul George (23.0 ppg) have led their respective teams in scoring in the season series.
Warriors (19-18) at Clippers (24-14)
• This matchup features two of the top-scoring benches in the league. The Clippers’ bench ranks second in scoring (40.4 ppg), accounting for 35.17% of LA’s total points (fifth-highest). The Warriors’ bench ranks eighth in scoring (38.5 ppg), accounting for 33.95% of Golden State’s total points (ninth-highest).
• After winning Sunday’s MTN DEW 3-Point Contest and sinking eight 3-pointers to help Team LeBron to a 170-150 win, Stephen Curry is back in action with the Warriors where he averages a league-high 4.8 3-pointers made per game on 41.1% shooting from beyond the arc. However, the Clippers hold opposing teams to 36.1% shooting on 3-pointers (ninth-lowest) on just 32.4 attempts per game (sixth-lowest).
• While Curry has made more 3-pointers than any other player, the Clippers have shot the 3-pointer better than any other team — ranking first in 3-point percentage at 41.9%. Only three teams in league history have shot 41% or better from 3-point range for an entire season: the 2015-16 Warriors (41.6%), the 2009-10 Suns (41.2%) and the 1996-97 Hornets (42.8%).
• The Warriors rank second in the league in pace (103.47) and fifth in the league in fast break points (14.7 ppg). In a contrast of styles, the Clippers rank 26th in both pace (98.22) and fast break points (10.3 ppg).
• The Warriors and Clippers split their first two games of the season series on Jan. 6 and 8. Paul George led the Clippers with 23 points per game on 50% (14-28) shooting from the field, 53.8% (7-13) shooting on 3-pointers and 100% (11-11) at the free throw line. Stephen Curry led the Warriors at 25.5 ppg, while shooting 43.9% (18-41) from the field and 50% (10-20) from 3-point range. He shot just 8-21 (38.1%) on 2-point shots, well below his season average of 56.5%.
