Oct. 23 will be more than just the usual preseason game for the Celtics.
This particular Wednesday night game will mark the return of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to TD Garden for the first time since being traded to the Nets.
The Nets announced the marquee matchup Thursday along with their entire preseason schedule. The two teams will also face off in Brooklyn on Oct. 15.
The blockbuster deal involving the two teams was announced July 12, and it sent Pierce, Garnett, Terry and D.J. White to Brooklyn. The Celtics received Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph — who has since been released — and three first-round picks along with the option to switch first-round picks during the 2017 draft.
As Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe points out, though, there is a chance that the Nets will decide not to play Pierce and Garnett during the preseason game, so their return to Boston can take place during the regular season. Holmes also says there is a chance that Pierce and Garnett may choose to get the return out of the way before the regular season begins.
