Ben Simmons is still out for the Nets, and the Celtics are still missing center Robert Williams. Not having Williams in the front court provides easier driving lanes for the Nets to the basket. Meanwhile, Simmons would have given Brooklyn another elite defensive option—at the very least.

TD Garden is going to be a madhouse on Sunday afternoon.

There’s something different about this year’s Celtics team, and you can see the players starting to believe it. The last thing they need is the Nets waltzing into their home stadium and handing them a loss in the very first game of the series. They need to set the tone early and show Brooklyn they’re in for a fight.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are offensive magicians, but they can’t beat this Celtics team alone. At some point, they’re going to need others on the roster to step up and make big shots against the best defensive team in basketball. Boston has been putting opponents in defensive jail in the latter half of the season, and they’ll be determined to maintain that effort in the postseason.

The Celtics have beaten the Nets in the last three straight head-to-head meetings. They are capable of hanging around offensively, they have the better defense and they’ll be playing on their home court. I’m laying the points and taking Boston to strike first.