3 takeaways: Nets take a 3-1 lead with blowout in Boston

The Brooklyn Nets dominated the Boston Celtics to take a 3-1 lead in the series.

The Nets faced their first real test early in their playoff run after losing Game 3, and responded with a runaway road win. In the first quarter, Brooklyn went down eight in the opening minutes, but they stuck with it to keep it close by the end of the quarter. Kevin Durant had 17 points entering the second period and Jayson Tatum picked up where he left off on Friday, getting himself to 14 points.

The second quarter was a different story. Steve Nash’s squad found their rhythm offensively and kept their foot on the gas. They scored 40 points in the second period alone and more importantly they kept Jayson Tatum scoreless in the quarter. This gave the Nets a 73-60 lead for the half with Kyrie Irving (23 PTS) at the forefront of it all as the team’s leading scorer. The big three combined for 59 points at the break

At the start of second half, Brooklyn was just too much for Boston. The big three were absolutely unconscious from all three levels of the floor offensively and the supporting cast matched their energy. The Celtics couldn’t find any life whatsoever. As a result, the last two periods were nothing but destruction for them.

Kevin Durant (42 PTS), Kyrie Irving (39 PTS and James Harden (23 PTS) combined for 104 points in a 141-126 win at TD Garden. The Nets also set a playoff scoring record with the 141 points. The rest of the team shot 15-27 from the field. That’s an amazing 56 percent. Those players looked just as locked in as the Big three, if not more. If they weren’t hitting shots, the offense would not have been unlocked.