Celtics vs. Nets

Where, when, TV: Boston; 3:30 p.m. EDT; ABC.

Story: Celtics and Nets meet for the second straight season, though this time with opposite seedings. The Celtics shook off a rough start and surged to the Atlantic Division title behind Jayson Tatum’s scoring and a rock-solid defense, while the Nets are a dangerous team with the explosive scoring of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Key matchup: Marcus Smart vs. Irving. Irving can get hot as quickly as anybody in the NBA with his ballhandling, as he showed while making his first 12 shots in the Nets’ play-in victory. But in Smart, the Celtics have one of the league’s toughest defensive guards.