Watch Live: Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics, 7:30 PM EST on ESPN and YES Network

There’s not much to say about the state of Brooklyn basketball right now. They head into Friday nights game against the Celtics carrying a 4-game losing streak and on the verge of falling out of 6th place in the East.

It’s been really bad.

Since the All-Star break they’ve been 29th in the league in team defense and just 27th in team offense.

The Celtics, meanwhile, haven’t been much better on defense but they are cruising along on offense and looking to take advantage of going up against one of the worst defenses the league has to offer.

No Ben Simmons tonight for the Nets. But, really, who cares.

WHO: Brooklyn Nets (34-28) at Boston Celtics (45-18)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. est

WHERE: ESPN (national), YES Network (local tv and app), WFAN-FM (radio)

Game preview.

When you’re comfortable with a team and city, why leave? He’s fit into his role perfectly and can switch on to guards, battle with big players on the inside, and operate the offense from the high post. Every team needs a solid veteran to keep things humming along, and Horford fits that role to a tee in Boston.

Somebody’s gotta help Nic Claxton out. Clax has been great, but the team hasn’t been able to complete possessions and snag rebounds to get out in transition and attack. He’s still been excellent and has taken the challenge of contesting anything in his orbit. The Nets don’t have a suitable backup big man, and that is a failing of management at the trade deadline. When you plan to manage his minutes down the stretch, it was imperative to find somebody who could come close to matching his productivity so he could get some rest. The current plan with Simmons out is to have Dorian Finney-Smith as backup center, but this is the most he’s ever played at center in his career. It’s a big ask for a player joining a new team in the back half of the season and with no practice time to play a new position, but that’s the position the Nets find themselves in. Just gotta figure it out.

For more on the Celtics, check out Celtics Blog.