BSJ Game Report: Celtics 118, Nets 110 - Tatum's monster night carries C's

Everything you need to know about the Celtics win over the Nets, with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

Boston dominated the paint early on and then pushed their lead as high as nine thanks to a 3-point explosion from Jayson Tatum. After a back-and-forth start to the second, Boston got some separation when Tatum checked back in. He finished the half with 31 and Boston a 15-point halftime lead. The lead grew to 23 in the third but settled at 16 heading into the fourth. Things got dicey thanks to Cam Thomas’ 12 points and the Nets going 4-8 from 3, but the Celtics held on. 

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Tatum’s hot night: He finished with 41 for his 29th career (regular and postseason) 40-point game. He is the only Celtic to have 40 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and five 3-pointers in a game. He dropped 31 in the first half and then did other things to draw attention away from his teammates so they could join in the fun. 

- Attacking the rim: Boston got whatever they wanted for most of this game, especially early on. They scored 50 points in the paint, 20 of which came in the first quarter. The attacking set a nice tone for the offense. 

- Game of runs: Brooklyn has guys who can score the ball. They have shooters who can make shots. And with the way 3-pointers drop in this league, the late rally shouldn’t be a surprise. This isn’t like some of the other games where the Celtics let go of the proverbial rope. The Nets made runs because if there's one thing they're capable of doing, it’s scoring a bunch of points very quickly. 

TURNING POINT 

Jayson Tatum checked in with 7:39 to go in the second quarter. After a Mikal Bridges free throw, it was 45-43 Boston. By the :57 mark, Boston capped off a 27-9 run to go up 20. Yes, the Nets made a late run, but this gave the Celtics the pad they needed.  

THINGS I LIKED

- Jayson Tatum: Only Larry Bird has more 40-point games in Celtics history. That's pretty incredible to me. So is this: 

And this:

And Tatum can keep getting better. He is a unique superstar because his trajectory to this level has been a bit more deliberate, but it’s undeniable that he has the potential to cement Celtics' immortality. He’s this generation’s megastar, and his story isn’t even at its halfway point yet. 

- This dunk by Tatum: 

- Jrue Holiday: He finished with 12 assists to go along with 14 points. He was solid all game long. 

- Derrick White: He was having a relatively quiet night but then the fourth quarter came along and there he was again, hitting half his 3-pointers, putting up eight points, and helping hold off the Nets. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- The late Nets run: Boston was up 13 with about nine minutes to go and then the Nets hit four 3-pointers in about six minutes to cut the lead down to six. I don’t care about that so much, and I don’t really care that Jaylen Brown missed a couple of straight-on, wide-open 3-pointers. I do care about the sloppy turnovers like the offensive foul on Brown when he was moving the ball so well to help Boston rebuild their lead. 

- Boston’s zone: Still a work in progress. The Celtics are going to it a bunch now in hopes of unleashing it, I believe, a little more judiciously in the playoffs. We’ve seen it work great at times, and we’ve seen it give up some easy points. Tonight’s version was too passive. There has to be more ball pressure and better help behind it. Just because guys are guarding areas instead of specific guys, it doesn’t mean you just sit back and let them 

- Bench minutes: Rough night for Payton Pritchard (3 points, 1-6 fg), and the starts of the second and fourth quarters were not great. 

HIGHLIGHTS

TWO TAKES KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- The first quarter was a big Joe Mazzulla ‘I told you so.’

The Celtics were dominating the quarter, getting into the paint, playing in the post, getting into transition, and dominating at the rim. Yet, they only led by three, 26-23, at one point because Brooklyn was 5-8 from 3 while Boston had only hit a couple. 

Then Tatum hit three 3-pointers and Boston suddenly had its biggest lead of the quarter at nine points. 

We all love the attacking. I highlighted it at the top of this story. But at the same time, focusing too much on 2-pointers is just as bad as focusing too much on 3-pointers. I know that might sound a little nuts to some people from my generation, but this is the NBA in 2024. If you’re not balancing 2s and 3s, you’re going to end up in trouble. 

- Joe Mazzulla is a maniac for going “hack-a-Simmons” in the first half.

He intentionally fouled Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton in the second quarter, challenging Simmons especially to make free throws. He went 50% at the line, and the Celtics actually grew their lead over that stretch. 

More than that, though, Mazzulla knows Simmons has some … challenges … maintaining his focus on the floor. By putting him in that position, he tried to mess with Simmons’ head. 

His willingness to play these kinds of mental games is something to pay attention to later on. 

Next up: The Celtics and Nets do it again tomorrow night in Boston in the final game before the All-Star break.