Everything you need to know for the Boston Celtics' home game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 27, 2026: where to watch, listen, stream info, TV channel, and what happened last game.
If the first three meetings between the Boston Celtics (38-20) and Brooklyn Nets (15-43) have taught us anything this season, it’s this:
Nothing comes easy.
Not against a team with a losing record.
Not with a double-digit lead.
And certainly not when the game tightens late.
Tonight’s matchup feels less like a routine regular-season contest and more like a referendum on who these Celtics actually are.
We’ve seen all versions of them in this head-to-head.
There was the professional close in Brooklyn - a 113-99 win where Boston steadied itself after a sloppy start, survived 19 turnovers and finally watched the Nets run out of offense late. Jaylen Brown controlled the second half, Payton Pritchard delivered a double-double, and the Celtics avoided yet another “clutch” headache by putting it away before things got weird.
Then there was the unraveling.
The 113-105 NBA Cup loss where foul trouble, flat defense and a 19-4 third-quarter collapse flipped the script entirely. Brown’s fifth foul triggered chaos. Derrick White couldn’t buy a shot. The Nets dictated physicality and poise while Boston looked disconnected.
And of course, the chaos classic - a 130-126 double-overtime survival act at Barclays Center that required 46 minutes from Brown, 32 points from Pritchard and a rookie-saving three from Hugo Gonzalez just to escape.
The through line?
Sloppiness. Thin margins. Emotional swings.
Early in the season, Boston toggled between gritty resilience and maddening carelessness against bad teams. And for whatever reason, the Celtics have struggled to string together clean, composed basketball for 48 minutes against this Brooklyn team.
Now 58 games in the can, and the Celtics have moved away from playing down to their competition.
But if history says anything, tonight won’t be comfortable.
How to Watch Celtics vs. Nets
Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics Information
Game Date: February 27, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV Channel: NBC Sports Boston (Boston) & YES Network (New York)
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (Boston) & WFAN (New York)
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Live Stream: Fubo & NBA League Pass
Jan 23, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) celebrates his three point shot against Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) with Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the first overtime at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)Missed any of Wednesday night’s loss at Denver? Here’s everything you need to know:
1. Defense traveled, Until It Didn’t:
For roughly three quarters, the Celtics executed a clear, disciplined plan.
They held Denver to 66 points through the first 34 minutes, and made Nikola Jokic work for everything.
The three-time MVP finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, but he shot just 11-for-28 from the field and 4-for-13 from deep.
Boston’s goal was obvious: turn Jokic into a volume scorer instead of a conductor.
It worked - early.
But sustained defensive control requires offensive support.
When Boston’s scoring dried up, Denver’s rhythm followed. The dam eventually broke in the third.
2. White & Brown Couldn’t Do It Alone:
Jaylen Brown set the tone with 12 first-quarter points and finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, though on an inefficient 7-for-21 shooting night.
Derrick White, playing in his home state, erupted for 18 points in the second quarter alone and ended with 20.
Outside of them? Production was scarce.
Boston shot 34.9% from the field and 12-for-43 (27%) from three - its worst shooting performance of the season and the first time since December 2022 the franchise dipped below 35% in a game.
The Celtics generated clean looks. They just didn’t convert.
When the legs went, so did the margin for error.
3. Bench Gap Proved Decisive:
Through three quarters, Boston’s reserves managed just five total points, shooting 2-for-18.
Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic combined to go 2-for-13 from the field and 1-for-7 from three.
Denver’s bench? A different story.
Even without Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, and after losing Jamal Murray to illness in the first quarter, the Nuggets outscored Boston’s reserves 42-17.
Jonas Valanciunas scored back-to-back buckets early in the fourth to stretch the lead to 81-67, part of a decisive 15-0 Denver run that flipped a one-point Boston edge into a double-digit deficit.
That stretch ended the game.
4. Context Matters:
This was Boston’s third game in four nights, in three cities, at altitude, against a rested contender.
Fatigue isn’t an excuse, but it’s part of the equation.
For much of the night, the Celtics defended at a high level, executed a smart scheme against Jokic, and competed.
They simply couldn’t sustain it.
Joe Mazzulla emptied the bench midway through the fourth as the lead ballooned past 20, signaling surrender on the night - not on the trip.
A 3-1 Western swing still strengthened Boston’s grip on the No. 2 seed in the East. The bigger picture remains intact, especially with Jayson Tatum’s eventual return looming.
Wednesday wasn’t pretty.
But in February, especially at altitude, sometimes the lesson is just how thin the margins are when the shots stop falling and the tank hits empty.
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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.