Tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET the Brooklyn Nets (19-22) will head to Boston to take on the Celtics (15-30) in a game that will be very notable, but likely not for reasons on the court. While the Nets have begun righting the ship and the Celtics are apparently in tanking mode, emotions will run high when Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett make their first appearance in Boston since a draft day trade. Watch the game on ESPN or live stream it free here. Nets fans can listen to the game on 101.9 WFAN FM while Celtics fans may do the same on WEEI 93.7.
"It's going to be a little weird," Pierce said of heading back to Beantown. Even Kevin Garnett, a notoriously stoic player in regards to emotions toward his opponent let a little fondness seep through his comments.
"The emotions probably will be high just because of the success that we had," Garnett said. "We were fortunate to be part of that whole transformation and some things are forever, man, and I'm happy to say that I'm part of that era."
Without Pierce and Garnett, the Celtics struggled to cope this season as Rajon Rondo healed from ACL surgery. Rondo has returned, but Boston is unlikely to make a ton of noise this year. "They're going through a lot of different changes, sort of like the change they went through when I was there before we got Kevin and before we got Ray [Allen]," Pierce said. "They're still trying to find their identity."
The emotions may get to Rondo as well, who emerged from the shadow of those veterans to assume leadership of the franchise. "I talk to them all the time, text," Rondo said before denying their presence will be a big deal to the current crop of C's.
"I don't think it'll affect us at all. It's part of the process. This isn't the first time (ex-Celtics) have come back in this building."
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