Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 121-110 win over the Nets with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Kemba carries high-powered Celtics offense to impressive win: Kemba Walker said he was feeling completely fine after his scary collision last Friday night before his return to the court. He lived up to that declaration on Wednesday night. The All-Star scored a season-high 39 points on 13-of-24 FGs, rallying the C's against a red-hot shooting Nets squad to a 121-110 victory in front of the TD Garden crowd. Jaylen Brown added 22 points and 10 rebounds as six different Celtics scored in double figures in the shootout that saw both teams combine for 34 3-pointers. Garrett Temple had a team-high 22 points in the defeat for the Nets who hit 21 3s on the night, just one shy of the franchise record for a Celtics opponent. The C's surpassed that firepower in the second half, getting great efforts from Brown, Walker, and Brad Wanamaker (13 points) to erase a nine-point deficit and snap the Nets' four-game winning streak. The C's now face off again with the Nets in Brooklyn on Friday afternoon but head into Thanksgiving with a 13-4 record.
Garden sends Kyrie a message: It was an electric crowd from the opening tip at the Garden despite the fact that Kyrie Irving was not in the building as he remained back in Brooklyn due to a shoulder injury. However, his absence did not impact the crowd’s treatment of the former Boston guard as the game was overshadowed at times with chants of ‘Kyrie sucks’ and ‘Where is Kyrie?’ as the Garden faithful ensured their displeasure would be heard on the ESPN broadcast. Whether it was during free throws or when the Nets had the ball, C’s fans weren’t going to let Irving escape the heat even though they will have to wait until March for another chance to send him the message in person (Nets play on March 3rd in Boston).
TURNING POINT
Walker and Brad Wanamaker teamed up to score all eight points of an 8-1 Celtics run midway through the fourth quarter to turn a one-possession game into a double-digit lead for the hosts heading into crunch time.
TWO UP
Kemba Walker: The All-Star showed off no signs of rust in his return from a sprained neck early on, keeping the C’s in the game early with a game-high 17 points in the first half on 6-of-12 shooting from the field before erupting for a season-high 39 points on the night. He also dished out a team-high three assists in his 17 first-half minutes.
Jaylen Brown: The swingman piled up 11 points in just 14 first half-minutes alone on his way to the second double-double of the past three games with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
TWO DOWN
Celtics 3-point defense: This was an area of focus after Buddy Hield erupted for 41 points on Monday night but the C’s did not tighten things up defensively, allowing the Nets to erupt to 10 3-points in the second quarter alone (10-of-16).
Carsen Edwards: Three missed shots and a team-worst minus-8 over six first-half minutes. He found some rhythm with rookie teammate Tremont Waters on Monday night but he’s down to 32 percent shooting on the year. That’s not enough to justify consistent playing time at this point.
TOP PLAY
? Kemba spin cycle ? pic.twitter.com/MsXdVeXxMR
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 28, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
The Celtics need to get Enes Kanter more looks: The big man still made himself useful on this night with his rebounding and some surprisingly solid defense against an undermanned Nets squad. However, in the midst of one of the best offensive seasons of his career (via shooting percentage), Kanter has been mostly an afterthought in the C’s offense. Even when being guarded by primarily an overmatched rookie in Nic Claxton, Kanter took just five shot attempts on Wednesday night, most of which came on second-chance opportunities (5 offensive rebounds). Kanter is a reliable source of offense in the right matchups on the post and the C’s guards and wings would be better served to look for him down low a bit more, especially when perimeter shots aren’t falling. This wasn’t much of an issue on Wednesday night obviously after the team scored 121 points, but it’s something to monitor over the big picture. The team needs to maximize his offense during his spot minutes and finding him down low with optimal position is a good way to get him easy looks or open up the floor when double teams come.
The Celtics may need to rest Kemba Walker more often after this performance: The point guard has a reputation for being an iron man over his career, with his 158 straight games played streak snapped on Monday night in the wake of his sprained neck injury. Walker responded to the additional rest with the best effort of his career in a Celtic uniform, mixing in his long-distance shooting with a vast array of shifty finishes in the paint against a tough big man in Jarrett Allen. As Walker approaches year 30 with plenty of miles on his tires (and less of a need to be leaned on for offense) this may be a bit of a reminder for the veteran that playing a full 82 (or even 75) may not be as necessary now that there is a better supporting cast around him. Resting up the bumps and bruises when necessary can lead to bigger results when it matters and this type of performance was a good reminder of that. There’s no doubt that the C’s training staff have probably already mapped out a gameplan for him this year but it may be a little bit easier to convince him to follow it after his play.