Everything you need to know about the Nets beating the Celtics 109-102 with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Another third-quarter collapse: The Celtics fought hard for the first half of this one despite missing Kyrie Irving (sore quad) and Marcus Smart (illness) in a matchup against a Nets franchise that had won 10 consecutive games against heading into Monday night. It was the defense that kept Boston in the game in the first half after shooting 31 percent from the field, but that promising showing fell apart quickly in the third period as the hosts posted 44 points in just 12 minutes, doubling up the Celtics (21 points) in the frame. D’Angelo Russell was the trigger for the outburst (18 points in quarter) but it was a failure in all facets of the game as the Nets shot 65 percent and scored nine second-chance points in the period.
Brad Stevens went to his youngsters (Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and the deep bench) for the rest of the way and the group fought back admirably from a 26-point deficit, but ultimately they ran out of time and energy in the closing minutes. Tatum scored a career-high 34 points, while Brown added 22 points, but most of them came after the game had been essentially decided.
0-3 road trip: Boston was down three rotation players in this one, but the Nets had six players out with injuries as well, which makes any kind of excuse making ring hollow for the visitors. This group has struggled mightily on the road of late (1-6 in their last seven games away from the TD Garden) and it’s sending them into a freefall in the East standings (2.5 games back of the No. 4 seed). With the cause of the turmoil changing every night, there is no simple rhyme or reason to the struggles. However, on a night where offense was needed without Irving, dud performances from Gordon Hayward (three points), Marcus Morris (eight points) and Terry Rozier (3-of-12 FG) loomed large. After an impressive four-game winning streak last week, this group looks like they are back at square one.
TURNING POINT
Brooklyn broke open a two-point game with a 22-2 run midway through the third quarter that featured 11 points from Russell, who scored 34 on the night. He was red-hot from 3-point range during the run, knocking down three of his game-high seven treys on the night against a shorthanded Boston backcourt.
TWO UP
Jayson Tatum: A career-high 34 points on an efficient 12-of-19 shooting night. Most of the damage came too late to matter, but he did show some nice aggression attacking the rim for most of the evening, drawing a season-high 11 free throw attempts as well. He was part of the problem on the defensive end (as evidenced by his minus-14 on the night) but plenty of good signs on offense.
Brad Wanamaker: For the second time in as many games, he was solid when given regular rotation minutes. Outside of Tatum, he was the only one who could knock down 3s with any regularity, going 3-of-7 from beyond the arc on the way to a career-high 13 points. It wasn’t anything spectacular on the whole, but just steady play at the backup point guard spot is something this team has been lacking lately.
TWO DOWN
Gordon Hayward: On a night with ample opportunity for a bigger offensive role, Hayward wanted no part of it. He was a non-factor within the offense, settling for long jumpers on his way to a 1-of-6 scoring night with three points. The bumps in the road are obviously going to be there, but the C’s need him to hit double-digits on nights like this.
Terry Rozier: His offensive funk continues. While he showed more of a pass-first mentality for a change (five assists) his shooting woes continue to plague him. He went 3-of-12 on the night and is now 4-of-25 from the field over the past three games. If Stevens is about to make a change to the rotation, this is probably the spot to start right now.
TOP PLAY
The highlight of a strong 24 point night for Brown
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— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 15, 2019