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When the Brooklyn Nets first played the Boston Celtics this season, I wrote about how both teams were at or near the same competitive skill level. After all, it was way back in late November and Boston was a mediocre 7-7. They sat just two spots ahead in of Brooklyn in the East, and were still looking to find rhythm with a newly reconstructed roster.
What a stupid, hilarious assertion.
In the time since, Brooklyn’s been the Yin to Boston’s Yang. They’ve gone 13-31 while Boston’s gone 30-13. The Celtics are now knocking on the postseason door for a 12th straight season, while the Nets are knocking on heaven’s.
Sometimes, you just have to say it when you can.
But tonight, the Nets certainly couldn’t, not that I or anyone expected them to be able to. Brooklyn fell behind quickly in game no. 59. They turned it over three times in the contest’s first three minutes. The Celtics did what they do, and have somehow continued to do for years even with significant roster turnover — beginning the game 6-6 from deep. For Brooklyn, it would only get worse defensively from beyond the arc, but more on that later.
Josh Minott also played his first non-garbage time minutes in the first for the Nets. While Boston remained ahead during them, they gave us the only bit of basketball we could celebrate tonight. Early on, the 23-year-old put the athleticism that always made him an intriguing prospect on full display while creating for himself and others….
Seconds after soaring past Hugo González for a jam on the break, he went over Nikola Vučević and Day’Ron Sharpe for two more just before the horn. Minott finished with nine points and two rebounds in 16 minutes of play while shooting 4-7 from the field.
Following their new teammate’s lead, Brooklyn kept attacking the paint in the first half, even as Boston continued to advertise the 3-pointer as a viable offensive weapon. The Nets outscored the Celtics inside 32-22 in the first half. They pushed to the cylinder anytime they could on the break and weren’t bashful about attacking known rim-receptionist Vučević in the halfcourt either.
And while the Celtics still led at halftime by a 66-57 margin, shooting 12-20 from deep by that point, Brooklyn seemed to be making progress. Just 24 hours removed from a game where they lost the turnover battle 15-8 and finished -10 in points off them, they were winning it 8-4 and with a +6 advantage through two vs Boston. They also put the Celtics at the line for just 11 first half shots after giving San Antonio 21 attempts in the first half last night.
Nevertheless, Boston started the second half 5-5 from the field, jumping up by two touchdowns less than three minutes into the third. The Boston three-party raged on in the process. The Celtics went 5-7 from deep in the period, hitting skip passes and leveraging around screens like a well-oiled machine they are.
Between a quick five from Egor Dëmin, who was scoreless in the first half, and Nolan Traoré probing and creating, the Nets tried to hang around, but if they did, it was only by a coogi thread.
Brooklyn went into the fourth down 109-83. Then, after the Celtics started a perfect 4-4 from the field again, they were down 117-83.
So, that meant extended garbage time, and a look at a Net with even less experience here than Minott. This morning, Brooklyn signed rookie Grant Nelson to a 10-day contract. The Alabama product checked in with 9:50 remaining. He ended up tallying three points, dishing four assists, and blocking two shots.
That burn gave him 60 minutes played in three games in two leagues in three days. I think he’ll sleep well tonight.
Ben Saraf, who the Nets swapped in from Long Island with Drake Powell, also logged nine minutes down the stretch. His first few weren’t as memorable as Nelson’s, as he got called for an illegal screen just seconds after checking in. However, he did rebound, putting in seven points while shooting 3-3 from the field. Ochai Agbaji and Danny Wolf also combined for 15 points on 6-11 shooting in the fourth.
An honest man would remind you that all that production came against Boston’s deep bench guys, but the ultimate beat down Boston delivered should be sobering enough on its own. The Celtics had a magnet ball that never lost its pull, even as Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard tested it with “heat check” heaves. Those two combined for 50 points on 18-24 shooting from the field and 8-9 from three. Pritchard finished as a +40 in 28 minutes.
Even Ron Harper Jr., who’s appeared in just 14 games and 11-42 from deep this year, dusted himself off, came in, and buried a three in the final two minutes. The Celtics collectively shot a ludicrous 22-34 from three.
“Better technique, better knowing who the personnel is,” Fernandez said postgame. “And obviously, you know we were not good enough. When you shoot 49% from the field, 40% from three, and you turn over 11 times, you should be able to give yourself a chance or fight. And it was like a really, really poor defensive game, probably the worst of the season, and I know we’ve shown better. So there’s something for me to fight for.”
Fernández often talks about wanting to see that “fight” from his players. It felt like he missed that tonight, and it’s hard to argue otherwise.
“Yeah, it was a complete-on quit, when you lose by almost 40 points,“ he said. ”They scored 82 points in one half of basketball. Obviously, give them credit because they’re very good team, but we can be better than this.“
Final: Boston Celtics 148, Brooklyn Nets 111
Milestone Watch
Not much going on. Grant Nelson played three games in three days: with the Long Island Nets Wednesday and Thursday and tonight for Brooklyn. He played a little less than 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, over at Tankathon, the Nets are still third in lottery chances, but they’re now a half game out of second.
Next Up
The Nets will host the Cleveland Cavaliers for a third and final time this season at the Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon. Brooklyn hasn’t beat the Cavs since their hold skipper Kenny Atkinson took over the team in in 2024. This one tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Boxscore: Boston Celtics 148, Brooklyn Nets 111 – NBA
- Game Highlights: Boston Celtics 148, Brooklyn Nets 111 (Video) – NBA
- Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
- Brown, Vucevic score 28, Celtics shoot season-high 66% in a 148-111 win over the Nets – Kyle Hightower – AP
- Nets have no answers for scorching-hot Celtics in worst defensive game of the year – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Josh Minott flashes vs. former team, but Celtics’ 3-point barrage buries Nets in 37-point loss ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
- Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. drops 18 in 148-111 loss at Celtics – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY