FINAL: Celtics 125, Nets 124 - Tatum hits the winner
BOSTON CELTICS vs. BROOKLYN NETS
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Game time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: NBC Sports Boston
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub
Preview: Three games, two wins for the Boston Celtics. Now, it's time for their first back-to-back of the new campaign. They'll welcome the Brooklyn Nets to town on Tuesday night, just one day after beating the Chicago Bulls.
Boston dominated Chicago last night, picking up a 134-99 victory. Payton Pritchard exploded for 19 third-quarter points, spearheading the victory.
Just 24 hours later, Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. are in town. This Nets squad isn't the same one the Celtics played last year. It's still one of the less impressive teams in the East, but there's some real talent there.
Last season: The Celtics went 3-1 against the Nets last season, but three of the four contests were tight. Brooklyn played Boston well, and Jordi Fernandez's ball pressure was a huge part of it. He has his guys hustling at all times.
Porter was the biggest thorn in Boston's side. His 3-point shooting is very hard to guard. Last year, Porter averaged 26.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists against the Celtics. He shot 52.9% from the floor and 46.7% from deep on 7.5 3-point attempts per contest.
Offensive rebounding also proved to be a problem at times. Day'Ron Sharpe grabbed 2.5 offensive boards per game against Boston, and Nicolas Claxton pulled down 3.3.
Summer changes: Porter and Sharpe are still in Brooklyn. But the team around them looks vastly different than the one the Nets rolled out last season.
Claxton was traded to the Bulls this summer in the multi-team deal that brought Randle to Brooklyn. Mo Wagner and Keon Ellis were two of the Nets' other top additions this summer.
Rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr. is also a name to watch out for. He's dealing with the same early-season inefficiency most rookies go through, but he's dynamic with the ball in his hands.
One fun play: Pritchard's third-quarter takeover stole the show on Monday night, but throughout the first half, in particular, the Jayson Tatum-Mitchell Robinson pick-and-roll shined.
This play is a perfect example. Robinson comes all the way out to the half-court line to set a screen for Tatum, who has rookie Caleb Wilson guarding him.
Since he set the screen so high up, Jalen Smith has to step up from the paint to help take away a Tatum pull-up three or mid-range shot. That's all the space Robinson needs.
The big man immediately dives to the rim. Smith leaves a ton of space in the paint for him to roll into. And from there, it's a simple pass for Tatum to make.