The much-anticipated first matchup of the season between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden on Wedesday night is lacking one important element -- Kyrie Irving.
The Nets point guard won't play because of a shoulder injury, which means Celtics fans will have to wait for his return to Boston after he left the franchise in free agency over the summer. Irving's tenure in Boston fell way short of expectations, culminating in a very disappointing 2018-19 season that saw the Celtics get eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The Nets have struggled this season, both with and without Irving. The team's other free agent signing, Kevin Durant, is unlikely to play this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals as a member of the Golden State Warriors. Irving has been unable to lead the Nets to the top-tier of the Eastern Conference standings. Brooklyn is in seventh place in the East with a 9-8 record, while Boston is in a three-way tied for second place at 12-4.
The Celtics should get a boost Wednesday night with the return of star point guard Kemba Walker, who on Tuesday was listed as probable to play after suffering a neck injury in Denver last week.
HOW TO WATCH
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On TV: ESPN (7 p.m. ET tip off)
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Live Stream: ESPN
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ANALYSIS AND REACTION
BEFORE THE GAME: At 6 p.m., Celtics Pregame Live presented by TD Bank gets you ready for the game with reports from Kyle Draper, Chris Mannix, Mike Gorman, Brian Scalabrine, A. Sherrod Blakely, Chris Forsberg, and Abby Chin. Watch on NBC Sports Boston or click here for the live stream.
AT HALFTIME: Tune in to watch a breakdown of the first two quarters on Halftime Live presented by Ace Ticket. Watch on NBC Sports Boston or click here for the live stream.
AFTER THE GAME: As soon as the game ends, tune to Celtics Postgame Live presented by New England Ford for analysis, commentary and player reaction. Watch on NBC Sports Boston or click here for the live stream.
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Don’t miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Celtics-Kings, which tips off Monday at 7 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live, then Mike & Tommy have the call of the game at 7:30 p.m. You can also stream the game through the MyTeams App.