The Celtics have a 27-16 record.
The Celtics have a 27-16 record.Finn Gomez for the Boston Globe
The Celtics, who have already played two games this week, have a really long weekend ahead.
Boston visits Brooklyn on Friday to kick off a stretch of three games in four days, including the second half of a back-to-back on Saturday in Chicago. On Monday, the Celtics return home to face the Trail Blazers.
The good news is the Celtics are playing well. A narrow loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons on Monday was followed by a solid showing against the Pacers, who are on the other end of the spectrum in last place in the East. The Celtics have gone 17-7 since a 4-point loss to the Timberwolves on Nov. 29 left them at 10-9. That includes a run of 13 wins in 16 games from Nov. 30 to Jan. 5.
“We’re halfway through the season, and we’re second in the East,” Celtics wing Jaylen Brown said. “So that’s just a testament to the work ethic, the resiliency of our head coach, and leadership. It’s a testament to where we are right now.”
After winning seven of 10 from Dec. 1-27, the Nets are on a 2-11 slide.
Six of those losses were by double digits, but none were as lopsided as Wednesday’s 120-66 loss to the Knicks. The Nets endured their second-largest defeat in team history and scored fewer than 70 points for the 22nd time in franchise history.
Here’s a preview of Friday’s game.
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
TV, radio: NBCSB, WBZ-FM 98.5
Line: Boston -8. O/U: 216.5.
CELTICS
Season record: 27-16. vs. spread: 25-18. Over/under: 18-25
Last 10 games: 6-4. vs. spread: 6-4. Over/under: 3-7
NETS
Season record: 12-30. vs. spread: 18-22, 2 pushes. Over/under: 16-25, 1 push
Last 10 games: 2-8. vs. spread: 4-5, 1 push. Over/under: 4-6
TEAM STATISTICS
Points per game: Boston 116.8, Brooklyn 107.9
Points allowed per game: Boston 109.8, Brooklyn 114.5
Field goal percentage: Boston .472, Brooklyn .445
Opponent field goal percentage: Boston .446, Brooklyn .489
3-point percentage: Boston .368, Brooklyn .348
Opponent 3-point percentage: Boston .364, Brooklyn .379
Stat of the day: In Wednesday’s 120-66 loss to the Knicks, the Nets finished with their lowest point total since a 90-65 loss to the Miami Heat on March 12, 2005.
Notes: The Celtics have split their past eight games but have capitalized on the Knicks’ recent slide to vault into the Atlantic Division lead. ... The Celtics won for the third time in four games when they built a 20-point halftime lead in Wednesday’s 119-104 home victory over the Pacers. Jaylen Brown scored 30 points and has scored at least 25 in nine of his past 10 games. ... Brown has averaged 31.3 points over his past 20 games and his 11-of-22 shooting against the Pacers marked the 19th time he shot at least 50 percent this season. ... Brown also has been getting to the foul line more recently. He has taken 51 free-throw attempts in his past six games while the Celtics are averaging 25.5 free-throw tries over their past four contests. ... Brooklyn’s starts to games remain an issue. The Nets trailed 38-20 through the first 12 minutes on Wednesday, and they have been outscored 117-68 in their past three opening quarters. The Nets have trailed by double digits entering the second quarter six times in this 13-game stretch.
Information from Stats Inc. and Field Level Media was used in this report.
Matt Pepin can be reached at matt.pepin@globe.com.