On Tuesday, the Celtics (8-7) advanced to one-game above .500 on the season, as they outlasted the Nets (2-12) in Brooklyn 113-99 despite a mostly sloppy effort from the Celtics offensively.

20 turnovers led to 21 points off turnovers from Brooklyn. And if it weren’t for Brooklyn’s offense going completely ice-cold over a nine-minute stretch in the fourth quarter where they did not hit a single field goal, Boston might be sitting here at 7-8 heading into a Friday night game with a Nets team at 3-11.

Instead, Boston takes their second three-game winning streak of the season into the second leg of their home-and-home, with this one being a part of NBA Cup pool play (for those who need a refresher, I encourage you to check out this community post).

It’s only game No. 16 on the season, so I’m not going to sit here and tell you Friday night is a “must-win” situation for the Celtics. But with the upcoming schedule the Celtics have directly following their game with Brooklyn, it certainly feels like a “gotta-have-it” situation for the green:

- 11/23 vs. Orlando (8-7)
- 11/26 vs. Detroit (13-2)
- 11/29 @ Minnesota (10-5)
- 11/30 @ Cleveland (10-6)
- 12/4 @ Washington (1-13)
- 12/5 vs. Lakers (11-4)
- 12/7 @ Toronto (10-5)
- 12/19 vs. Miami (9-6)
- 12/20 @ Toronto (10-5)

For those keeping score at home, that’s eight opponents in nine games that all profile as playoff-caliber teams at this point in the schedule. With that Wizards game on December 4 being Boston’s only opportunity for a get-right game, there will be little-to-no room for error over the next month-or-so for the Celtics as they continue trying to figure themselves out in this brave new world without superstar Jayson Tatum.

Does “must win” and “gotta have it” mean the same thing? Maybe. But one feels less dire than the other. And for where we are in the calendar, a loss on Friday is certainly not a death sentence.

But if Boston were to realistically play around .500 basketball over the next nine games, this extra win against the Nets on Friday will make things look a whole lot better for the Celtics’ record-wise heading into a weaker slate around Christmas.

With how long a basketball season is, these types of things can matter for the vibe around a locker room. And a team that’s 13-12 heading into a holiday slate of games that includes two against the Pacers (2-13), one against the Blazers (6-9), one against the Jazz (5-9) and one against the Kings (3-12) has a much nicer ring to it than a team with a 12-14 record heading into that same slate of games.

Friday night in Boston needs to more closely resemble last Wednesday night’s blowout win over the Grizzlies than whatever you want to classify their effort in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

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.