Everything you need to know for the Boston Celtics' road game against the Brooklyn Nets on January 23, 2026: where to watch, listen, stream info, TV channel, and what happened last game.
If the Celtics (27-16) have learned anything through the first stretch of this season, it’s that the Nets (12-30) are not a team they can afford to sleepwalk through - no matter how ugly Brooklyn’s record might look on paper.
Boston heads to Brooklyn on Friday night for the rubber match of a weird, occasionally irritating mini-series that has already produced one grind-it-out road win and one head-scratching home loss.
The Celtics handled business in Brooklyn earlier this season by surviving their own sloppiness and waiting for the Nets’ offense to run dry late. Two days later, the script flipped. Boston unraveled at home, lost its composure the moment Jaylen Brown hit foul trouble, and watched a struggling Nets team punch them square in the mouth.
That context matters tonight, especially with the Celtics shorthanded again.
Derrick White will sit for rest, removing one of Boston’s primary ball-handlers and defensive stabilizers, while Neemias Queta is questionable due to illness. If Queta can’t go, that leaves Boston thin up front against a Nets team that has repeatedly punished them for lapses in effort, focus, and physicality. Even if he does suit up, the margin for error is smaller than it should be against a Brooklyn roster that has already proven it can drag the Celtics into uncomfortable games.
The throughline in both previous meetings was execution - or lack thereof. In the win, Boston eventually tightened the screws defensively and let Brown take over late, masking a night filled with turnovers and missed opportunities. In the loss, those same bad habits snowballed. Defensive communication slipped, transition defense disappeared, and once Brown went to the bench, the Celtics looked rudderless.
That tension has hovered over recent Celtics performances in general. This is a team still searching for consistency after an offseason that stripped away veteran margin and defensive reliability.
On good nights, the ball pops, the energy holds, and Boston looks like a group capable of climbing the East standings. On bad nights, the sloppiness resurfaces, the focus wavers, and games against teams like Brooklyn turn into coin flips.
Tonight is another test of which version shows up, especially without White to steady the floor. Against a Nets team that’s already taken advantage of Boston’s bad habits once, the Celtics don’t need brilliance.
They need control.
How to Watch Celtics vs. Nets
Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets Information
Game Date: January 23, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV Channel: NBC Sports Boston (Boston) & YES Network (New York City)
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (Boston) & WFAN Sports Radio (New York City)
Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Live Stream: Fubo & NBA League Pass
Nov 21, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann (14) and Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) battle for the ball during the second half at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images)Missed any of Wednesday night’s win over the Pacers? Here were some takeaways:
1. Brown dictated the game on his terms:
This was one of those Brown performances that doesn’t rely on streaky shooting or highlight plays - just steady pressure.
He got downhill early, lived in the paint, and consistently forced Indiana to react.
That approach helped Boston go 16 for 16 from the free throw line in the first half and build a lead that never fully cracked.
Brown didn’t dominate every possession, he set the tone.
The Celtics followed.
2. Celtics won the math battle sans shooting luck:
Indiana made an 11-0 third-quarter run, but the numbers stayed in Boston’s favor.
The Pacers shot just 39.8% from the field and 27.3% from three - struggles that weren’t by chance.
Neemias Queta anchored the paint with five blocks and altered many shots. Boston didn’t overextend, but trusted its size and discipline. Against the Pacers, who struggle to score efficiently, that was enough.
3. Sam Hauser has quietly stabilized the starting group:
Hauser’s early-season shooting slump feels distant.
He made 5 of 7 threes for 17 points, including two early that stretched Indiana’s defense.
More importantly, Hauser’s role feels settled.
After rotation changes earlier, he’s now a reliable fifth starter - clean, decisive, and dangerous when ignored.
That clarity matters as the Celtics go deeper into the season.
4. Even on off nights, Payton Pritchard still tilts the floor:
Pritchard’s shot wasn’t there, as he went 4 for 12 from the field and 1 for 5 from deep for 10 points. Yet, he contributed 8 assists, 5 rebounds, just 2 turnovers, and posted a game-high plus-26.
That’s his value.
He organizes the offense, protects possessions, and impacts winning even when the jumper isn’t falling. The Celtics’ ball security remains a strength, with Pritchard at the core.
Wednesday night’s win for the Celtics closed a chapter. Boston and Indiana played four times in a month, ending this strange scheduling quirk. The Celtics finished 3-1 in the series, and this win reminded everyone of the gap between a contender in control and a team still developing.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.