(Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports)
Final: Celtics 118, Nets 110 - Tatum's 41 helps hold off late Nets charge
BOSTON CELTICS at BROOKLYN NETS
7:30 p.m., NBCS Boston
Line: Boston -8.5
INJURIES
Boston: Kristaps Porzingis (QUESTIONABLE, back), Xavier Tillman (OUT, knee), Jaden Springer (OUT, ankle)
Brooklyn: Cam Johnson (OUT, adductor), Dariq Whitehead (OUT, shin)
LAST TIME
Both teams were firing in the first. Boston put up 38 points on 30 shots to take a five-point lead against a shot-shooting and scrappy Nets team. Jayson Tatum got hot in the second, joining a hot Jaylen Brown from the first, but some sloppiness cut into their lead heading into the half. Derrick White propped the C’s up the third and the lead got to 17 but the Nets walked it down to nine by the end of the quarter. Tatum’s return ignited a Celtics run that pushed the lead to 21 and the Nets never challenged from there.
NOTES
- The Celtics have won five straight road games.
- Boston is 2-0 vs. Brooklyn.
- Boston has won four straight games. If they win tonight, it will be their fifth winning streak of at least five games this season.
- Dennis Schröder had 15 points and 12 assists in his Nets debut. This will be his second game with Brooklyn since being traded by the Raptors
- Ben Simmons is expected to play
THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR
1. Test Ben Simmons: He has played in three straight games, a monumental feat for Simmons. He’s shooting 13-18 in those games while averaging almost five assists. Okay, fine, Ben. Let’s see what you really got. The Celtics should put him in as many actions as possible, hit him with picks, and see how he responds to the physicality. Does he shy away from it or embrace it? Will he try to avoid getting screened and make mistakes? I want to see him face a real test right off the bat.
2. Shot distribution: The Nets will take a bunch of 3-pointers, so the Celtics will have to find the balance between attacking the rim and taking the appropriate amount of 3-pointers. Everyone wants Boston to keep attacking but they have to make the appropriate reads off those attacks. They also have to make sure they're not trading 3 for 2 if the Nets are getting hot from deep. Boston has to generate a good amount of shots from the appropriate areas.
3. Rebound: Brooklyn is sixth in the NBA in offensive rebounds and ninth in offensive rebound percentage. When the Celtics struggle, they give up second-chance points in bunches. The worst-case scenario will be giving up offensive rebounds which kick out to 3.
4. Focus: This one applies to both games. The All-Star break is here and these guys need it. These will be two tough games if they let the vacation plans occupy too much space in their brains.
Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.