The set-up: Star FA acquisition Gordon Hayward was lost in Boston's season opener (a close loss at Cleveland) but got off to a blistering 22-4 start, anyway. However, with the Houston Rockets coming to the TD Garden this past Thursday, the Celtics were in a bit of rut, having gone just 6-6 in their previous 12 games. The Rockets jumped out to a 32-12 lead over the Celtics after the first quarter but then that old "Boston Celtic magic" came into play. The Celtics pulled off the biggest NBA comeback of the season, rallying from 26 points down in the third quarter and leading only once, on Al Horford's basket with 3.7 seconds left in the game, which gave teh Celtics a 99-98 win! The Celtics will try to avoid a letdown from a phenomenal comeback win when they host the 13-22 Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. The Nets have been a busy team, with five games in an eight-day stretch, including four straight on the road capped by Friday's 111-87 victory in Miami, which represents Brooklyn's second-largest margin of victory this season.

Brooklyn: "We weren't perfect but we were more perfect than the other night," coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters after Friday's, referring to a 15-point loss at New Orleans two nights earlier. "The challenge for us is to do it more consistently. That's what we're searching for." Brooklyn's most consistent performer of late has been forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (14.8 & 6.3), who made 8-of-9 shots and had 18 points and eight rebounds at Miami. The third-year pro is averaging 16.5 points and 8.3 boards over the last six games and recorded multiple steals in his last two contests. Jefferson is one of six Nets averaging in double digits. This team also knows about losing key players to injury, as Jeremy Lin was lost for the season in the team's season opener and DeAngelo Russell (team's leading scorer at 20.9 PPG through 12 games) was lost to a knee injury. The good news is, he appears to still be on track to return sometime in early-to-mid-January.

Boston: "I've had a few comebacks, but this is a special one. From just how we started, it was just so ugly," guard Kyrie Irving told reporters after a 26-point effort. "They came out firing. We just had to battle back. It took a lot. It took everybody." It was just the second win in the last five home games for the Celtics, who entered Saturday having played two more games than any other team in the league. Marcus Smart chipped in 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals against Houston, but it was his ability to draw two offensive fouls against Rockets superstar James Harden in the closing seconds that made headlines. "It just shows the value of Marcus Smart to our group and what he does for our team. It all started with him in the second half," Horford told the media. "It was just a domino effect. That's how special he is. And when he plays at that level we're just a different team." Irving (24.7 & 5.0 APG) is the clear team-leader but the veteran Horford is the unsung hero, averaging 13.8 PPG but also leading the team in rebounding (7.9) AND assists (5.3).

The pick: Brooklyn has covered the last three trips to Boston and the Celtics barely covered the first meeting between these two this season, winning 109-102 (as a 6 1/2-point choice) at Barlcays Center. Both Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown are playing on gimpy knees and Boston's defense does not figure to be up to snuff. Meanwhile, Brooklyn allows 110.9 PPG on the road, so the play here is a 10* on the Over.