Nets rout Celtics behind second-half surge from Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving
Jaylen Brown is a fully capable defender who has put the clamps on many NBA scorers. Marcus Smart is a professional irritant whose defensive capabilities resemble Rajon Rondo’s. Jayson Tatum, too, is a lanky athlete who has gotten critical stops in Boston over the years.
No Celtics player had an answer for the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving combination. The answer may not exist.
For Christmas, the Nets unwrapped a fully healthy superstar.
If there was any doubt, even just a little, that Durant wasn’t fully himself, even after his former coach Steve Kerr said so, that doubt was cast aside in Brooklyn’s 123-95 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday.
“You know what Tatum and Brown are going to give you. They’re going to score. They’re going to be versatile players that can make plays, get to the line. They’re both versatile defenders. They added Teague, who can score, and Tristan Thompson, who’s a handful on the glass. The most impressive thing about the group though, is that they have some continuity,” Nash said pregame. “They’ve been deep in the playoffs for a few years now. They have a great coach. ... I think you see it in the way they play. It feels like a pretty mature, stable process for them, and that’s why they’re so competitive every night.”
This time around, Durant drubbed the Celtics to the tune of 29 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. He put the Nets on his back in the third quarter, scoring 16 points in the period. Thanks to him, Brooklyn entered the half down three and built a double-digit lead entering the fourth quarter.
Kyrie Irving was also tremendous: 37 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the field. The self-proclaimed 7-11 connection (Durant wears No. 7, Irving No. 11) was in full effect on Christmas Day. The two combined to shoot 10 of 14 from 3-point range.
The Celtics were without their All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, who will be out until at least January after undergoing a procedure on his knee.
Caris LeVert came off the bench and added 10 points and three assists, though he turned the ball over seven times in 19 minutes. During one stretch in the fourth quarter, LeVert was responsible for four consecutive baskets: a dump-off for an easy Jarrett Allen finish; two mid-range jump shots; then a feed to a wide open Landry Shamet in the corner for a 3.
The Nets were able to win Game 2 like they won Game 1: An offensive outburst complemented by their growing defensive principles. But those principles weren’t in effect in Boston until the third quarter.
The Celtics were off to a hot start, behind key baskets from Tatum (20) and Brown (27), who combined for 47 points. The Nets, though, held Boston to just 23 points in the third quarter and 45 total points in the second half altogether.
Brooklyn advances to an early 2-0 start to the season. Their next game is on Sunday against LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets.
