Celtics stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown overpower Nets in 139-114 defeat

The Nets’ overtime thriller astatine TD Garden past week was, successful fact, not a fluke. The circumstances were conscionable a small amended for them. The Boston Celtics were playing without Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziņģis, missed 39 3-pointers connected their location court, and Brooklyn appropriately pushed the defending champions to the brink of defeat.

However, Wednesday’s rematch astatine Barclays Center felt similar a wholly antithetic ballgame, due to the fact that it was. Brown rejoined his All-Star moving mate Jayson Tatum connected the wing. Brooklyn was without 2 interaction defenders successful Ben Simmons (left calf tightness) and Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain).

And alternatively of shooting a measly 26.4% from deep, the Celtics changeable 47.8% from downtown (22-of-46), racked up 18 second-chance points, forced 13 turnovers and defeated Brooklyn handily this clip around, 139-114, to instrumentality a 2-0 pb connected the play series.

The Nets fell to 5-7 aft Wednesday’s effect and person present mislaid 3 of their past 4 games. Up next, the squad has 2 games against the Knicks successful 3 days, starting with Friday’s matchup astatine Madison Square Garden.

The last people was a spot jarring, particularly considering however good the Nets played early. They raced retired to a 14-5 pb down stellar play astatine some ends of the tribunal by Ziaire Williams, and contempt being shorthanded, they led by arsenic galore arsenic 13 points successful the archetypal quarter.

Unfortunately for them, Tatum took implicit toward the extremity of the opening play and made 5 of his archetypal 7 shots. Then the MVP chants started. Then each the abrupt Brooklyn’s 13-point vantage had been trimmed down to 2 entering the 2nd quarter. Boston, paced by Brown and Payton Pritchard who combined for 23 points successful the 2nd quarter, outscored the Nets 33-26 to instrumentality a 65-60 pb astatine halftime. Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas started to get it going earlier the break, but it was a comparatively quiescent nighttime for him overall.

Tatum poured successful 15 much points successful the 3rd quarter. The Celtics made 7 much treys arsenic a squad and committed zero turnovers successful the period. And conscionable similar that Brooklyn recovered itself down 14 points entering the last framework and ne'er recovered.

Williams finished with a season-high 23 points for the Nets successful the loss. Thomas and Dennis Schröder added 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Tatum (36 points) and Brown (24 points) combined for 60 points successful Boston’s 10th triumph of the play and Pritchard added 23 points disconnected the bench.