Tag: Brooklyn Nets

Celtics showed their depth with no 25-point scorer in blowout win

Seven players scored in double figures during the Celtics’ blowout win Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets.

The Boston Celtics really don’t bank on any of their top players going off to earn wins.

Sure, Jayson Tatum scored 30-plus points seven times during February, but Boston was still 4-1 when he didn’t score 30 or more in the month; the Celtics were 5-2 when he did.

Tatum’s quality performances were more indicative of his personal development — Boston wasn’t getting any better or worse.

And on Wednesday, the Celtics continued to prove why their balanced scoring works. Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 21 points and led the Celtics to a 149-115 blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Six other players scored in double figures, and according to ESPN Stats & Info, Boston scored the most points without boasting a 25-point scorer since the Seattle SuperSonics accomplished the feat on April 14, 1994. The Sonics beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 150-101, and 10 players scored in double figues. Detlef Schrempf had a team-high 21 points.

Throughout the season, the Celtics have had a plethora of options. Brown attacks the rim well. Tatum is showing he’ll be one of the league’s most sound scorers for years to come. Gordon Hayward can score from multiple places on the floor. Kemba Walker shakes defenders for easy pull-up jumpers.

Tatum, Walker, Brown, Hayward and Smart are each averaging double figures in points per game. The trio of Tatum, Walker and Brown are each averaging 20 or more a game, making for a three-pronged attack that’s tough to stop.

With the Celtics at third place in the Eastern Conference, their next seeding game will be Friday against the Toronto Raptors.

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WATCH: Jaylen Brown Celtics vs Nets 8/5 highlights

Boston Celtics star shooting guard dropped 21 points in just 24 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.

The Boston Celtics needed a win in the worst way. and star shooting guard Jaylen Brown more than did his part in helping secure that victory with another outstanding performance in a 149 – 114 blowout of the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

The Marietta, Georgia native scored 21 points, 4 boards and a block on 7-of-13 shooting in just under 2 minutes of game time, including connecting on five of his nine attempts from beyond the arc.

The Cal-Berkeley product’s stat line undoubtedly would have been even bigger had he stayed in, but Boston laid the hurt on the Nets so hard, the second unit played much of the second half — and deserved to.

Brown’s steadying force has been a critical part of the Celtics’ success this season, and the contest with Brooklyn was no exception.

Watch the clip embedded above yourself to see him go to work yourself; this was one of the best games of the season so far.

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WATCH: Boston Celtics 149, Brooklyn Nets 115 full game highlights

The Boston Celtics crushed the Brooklyn Nets 149 to 115 in one of the highest-scoring affairs of the last decade for the franchise.

The Boston Celtics got their groove back and then some as they dismantled the Brooklyn Nets just one day after the Nets beat the Milwaukee Bucks, shattering their scoring record for the season with the 149-115 blowout win.

The game was a close one early, with either team struggling to get some separation early, but by the second half, the Celtics had established themselves as the aggressors, and built a significant lead.

By midway through the third quarter, they had put the game out of reach, earning the bench some real floor time — especially in the fourth quarter — for them to shine.

If you are still smarting from the loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday, or just want to see the bench mob get some run, this is one of the most fun games of the season to take in.

Watch the video embedded above to see for yourself — this one is an instant classic for Celtics fans.

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Boston Celtics obliterate Brooklyn in the Disney bubble 149-115

The Boston Celtics did much more than bounce back from Tuesday’s loss to the Miami Heat by crushing the Brooklyn Nets 149-115.

The Boston Celtics hoped to bounce back against the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night after dropping a game they should have won to the Miami Heat the night before, but — fresh off a win over the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks — the Nets weren’t about to roll over.

Brooklyn jumped out to an early lead after winning the tip, the Celtics staying close if playing a bit flat to start. After a timeout at the seven-minute mark, they began playing better defense, but two quick fouls sent forward Jayson Tatum to the bench.

Boston tied it up at 14 with a trey from Jaylen Brown with six left in the frame, and the Cal-Berkeley product took a 20-16 lead as he started to get aggressive beyond the arc.

The Nets stayed close as Robert Williams III made his first substantial appearance of the Disney restart, and Time Lord actually had a positive impact on the game despite a few ugly plays.

A third foul for Tatum with 1:30 left in the first quarter prompted an unsuccessful coach’s challenge from head coach Brad Stevens, sending the Duke product to the bench.

A Time Lord flush off a Marcus Smart lob gave the Celtics a seven-point lead, and a pair of makes from the free throw line by Gordon Hayward sent Boston into the the second up 34-25.

The second quarter saw the Indiana native back at the stripe to start the frame followed by a 3-pointer to push the lead to 14, then 16 as he started to heat up.

The Celtics pushed the lead as high as 21 with the second unit taking the floor, but the Nets fought back and cut the lead to 17 with a little over three minutes left in the half.

Brooklyn threatened to make a game of things at several junctures throughout the frame, cutting the lead to as little as 13.

But, Boston kept their foot on the gas and came away with a 71-52 lead going into the break despite Tatum remaining on the bench with foul trouble.

The penultimate frame began with a Nets layup by Joe Harris, but Brown answered back with a 3-pointer, and then an oop on the play after.

Tatum, back in the game, pushed the lead to 24 with just under 10 to play in the quarter, then 25 with a trey immediately afterwards.

The Nets showed some signs of life, cutting the lead to 88-67 off a Tyler Johnson layup, but a Tatum trey and Smart getting fouled on a 3 of his own put Boston up 27 with just under four minutes left in the quarter.

The Celtics would lead by as much as much as 29, finishing the quarter up 106-77.

The final frame saw Jeremiah Martin hit a layup to start the quarter, but Williams would immediately negate that with a flush.

Boston didn’t let up, pushing the lead to 31 off a Time Lord make with 11 minutes left in the game as the Texas A&M product quickly erased the memory of his rough start.

Hayward would push the lead to 33 with a breakaway dunk at just under the nine minute mark, and Stevens would pull the starters with seven to play.

By the end of the game, every active Celtic would get on the board in the blowout victory, Boston shattering their season high for offense with the 149-115.

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Disney bubble NBA restart preview: Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets 8/5

The Boston Celtics take on the Brooklyn Nets this Wednesday evening, and had better not be asleep at the wheel lest they follow the example of the Milwaukee Bucks.

It would be understandable if the Boston Celtics wanted to forget about the last time they played the Brooklyn Nets, but after their Tuesday night loss to the Miami Heat, they might want to go back and study up on it.

After the Nets beat the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks on the same night a sloppy Celtics defense and subpar shooting led to an avoidable loss, Boston wants to turn the ship around if only for purposes of momentum going into the postseason tonight at 9 p.m. ET.

The Celtics will be without their All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, the UConn product out for load management of an easily-irritated left knee, though no other players will be limited or out because of injury.

On the other side of the court, the Nets of course have two of the largest-profile injuries in the league with former Celtic point guard Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and superstar forward Kevin Durant (achilles) both recuperating from major injuries.

Add forward Nick Claxton (shoulder), Jordan Crawford (hamstring) to the injured list with Wilson Chandler, Spencer Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince and Deandre Jordan (all sitting out the bubble) to forward Joe Harris (back) and Caris LeVert (thigh) having probable status for tonight’s tilt and you should have a very beatable roster.

Don’t tell the Bucks, though.

Boston should be hungry and is by far the superior team, so they ought to win against Brooklyn, and handily — but Tuesday’s loss to the Heat highlighted the work that still needs to be done on defense and communication.

For tonight at least, online sportsbooks favor the Celtics with between a -9.5 and a -8.5 spread.

Our prediction is a high-scoring, 128 – 106 Celtics blowout win.

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Wizards need to beat Sixers to ensure playoff hopes aren’t jeopardized

The Wizards would keep their playoff hopes intact with a win Wednesday against the Sixers.

As expected, the Washington Wizards have struggled in the Orlando bubble.

Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans, Washington’s top two scorers, didn’t join the team in the bubble. Without a good chunk of their offense, the Wizards haven’t won yet, losing to the Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers.

But for them to make sure their playoff hopes aren’t jeopardized, they’ll need to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The Wizards and the Sixers are set to play at 4 p.m. ET.

According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Wizards would be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose to Philly and if the Nets and Orlando Magic win their games. The Nets are playing the Boston Celtics at 9 p.m. ET, and the Magic are playing the Toronto Raptors at 8 p.m. ET.

Rookie forward Rui Hachimura had a good showing during the Wizards’ first seeding game. Hachimura scored 21 points, grabbed eight rebounds and shot 53.3% from the field as Washington lost to the Suns.

The Wizards are the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference, and they are 7.5 games behind the Orlando Magic. For the play-in tournament to ensue, the Wizards need to be four or fewer games behind the eighth seed.

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How to watch or stream Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets 8/5

These are all the ways you will be able to watch or stream the Boston Celtics take om the Brooklyn Nets at 9 p.m. ET tonight.

The Boston Celtics are still stinging from their unexpected loss to the Miami Heat, but have to rebound on the fly as they face the Brooklyn Nets at 9 p.m. ET this evening.

And while it’s a team the Celtics should easily beat, don’t think it won’t be a good game — this is largely the same squad that gave Boston plenty of trouble in the regular season pre- hiatus, and just got done sneaking up on the league- leading Milwaukee Bucks.

So, if you’re up for a fun but winnable contest and don’t know how to watch it, we’ve got you covered with these options.

This particular tilt will be available on NBC Sports Boston for people in southern New England with cable carriers providing access to that channel, and ESPN will air this game too, for those among us with cable.

ABC and TNT are also airing some games, but this one isn’t among them.

For us cable cutters there’s their ‘MyTeams’ app and NBCSportsBoston.com as well.

NBA League Pass, NBA TV, Fubotv, and Hulu + are subscription-based services you can hire to watch the game (if you haven’t already), and we’l be sure to post the highlights the morning after for those of you who can’t watch the game in any of these formats.

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Nets say Rockets gave them advice before historic upset over Bucks

“They [the Rockets] gave us a few tips, and we took that to heart,” veteran guard Garrett Temple said after Brooklyn’s shocking win.

On Tuesday afternoon at the NBA “bubble,” the Brooklyn Nets (32-35) pulled off one of the biggest betting upsets in league history with a 119-116 victory (box score) over the Milwaukee Bucks (54-14).

Besides the large discrepancy in records, Brooklyn’s roster for the NBA restart has been ravaged by injuries and player defections. The Nets traveled to Florida without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince, and Wilson Chandler, and they were without Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, and Jarrett Allen on Tuesday due to injuries or rest. In short, they were missing their top eight scorers.

Making matters worse, one of their top roster replacements — Jamal Crawford — left Tuesday’s game early due to a hamstring strain.

So, how did the Nets still win, as an underdog of nearly 20 points?

Veteran guard Garrett Temple, who scored 19 points and hit five 3-pointers, credited the Houston Rockets — who defeated the Bucks on Sunday — with a bonus assist. Temple’s postgame comments:

Honestly, we stay in the same hotel as the Houston Rockets, and we talked to them by the pool yesterday. We told them we were playing Milwaukee, and asked them things that they did. We saw that they beat [the Bucks], and obviously they’re very undersized, that’s how they play. So they gave us a few tips, and we took that to heart.

Like the Rockets, Brooklyn made 21 shots from 3-point range versus the larger Bucks, giving them a clear math advantage. Temple also credited his team’s fast pace for their success, which Houston used Sunday.

Furthermore, the smaller Nets had only seven turnovers and forced 18, similar to Houston’s nine turnovers and Milwaukee’s 22 on Sunday. That allowed both teams to overcome a double-digit rebounding deficit.

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According to The Action Network, Tuesday’s result was the biggest NBA upset by point spread in at least 25 years. (It could be more, but 1995 is the earliest year that Action has reliable NBA betting data for.)

It is worth noting that with the benefit of hindsight, the upset wasn’t quite as big as the point spread might make it seem. What oddsmakers didn’t know going in was that the Bucks, who are essentially locked in as the East’s No. 1 seed, wouldn’t take the game all that seriously.

Unlike Sunday’s game, which head coach Mike Budenholzer clearly wanted to win, Tuesday’s contest featured a different approach. Starting center Brook Lopez, who had 23 points and 12 rebounds versus Houston, didn’t play at all for the Bucks. All-Star forwards Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo only played 15 minutes each. No starter went more than 20 minutes, and most rested for the entire second half.

Then again, the Nets led by eight points at halftime, even with nearly all the regulars (other than Lopez) playing for the Bucks in the first half.

There’s long been an apparent rivalry between Antetokounmpo and Rockets star James Harden, and perhaps Sunday’s intense game added to it. If there’s a bubble rematch between the sides, it would have to come in the 2020 NBA Finals — and it wouldn’t be short on storylines.

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The Nets win against the Bucks was the biggest NBA upset in 25 years

What a bad beat.

The Nets just pulled off the biggest upset in the last 25 years when they beat the Bucks — at least as far as sportsbooks are concerned, anyway.

The Bucks were very, very, VERY clear favorites heading into the game . And of course they were! They should’ve been. The Nets were missing nine players — some because of injury and some who just didn’t make the trip to Orlando.

They had no business being in this game. Yet, here we are, somehow.

The Nets were +18.5 or +19 depending on the book, according to The Action Network’s Steve Petrella. The next closest upset was when the Nuggets beat on the spread at +17 in 1995. We haven’t seen a loss this big in two and a half decades.

So, of course, there were some big winners after the game. Somebody somewhere is popping mad champagne bottles right now over this.

There’s the other side too, though. Some other folks took some major L’s.

BIG YIKES. Here’s another one.

 

What really stings about this one is that it took a perfect sequence of events for it to happen. The Bucks defense fell apart and allowed a 40 point first quarter. Then, they didn’t play any of their starters after halftime. This was tailor made for a Nets win.

Sheesh. You win some, you lose some. But, man, you just don’t see beats like this.

Jamal Crawford’s return was stolen by injury and NBA fans everywhere were upset

Get well soon, Jamal.

We lost Jamal Crawford just as quickly as we got him back in the NBA.

The 40-year old guard made his debut for the 2019-20 season on Tuesday with the Brooklyn Nets in their game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

It was a treat to finally see him playing basketball again. It put an end to all of confusion as to why he hadn’t played a single minute up until this point.

Dropping 50 points in a single NBA game is not an easy feat. It’s something we rarely see, even in today’s game where it’s all offense all the time. That’s why it was a moment when Jamal Crawford dropped 51 points in the Suns’ final game of last season. And it wasn’t like it was 51 points on 50 shots — it was good! All this at 39 years old.

Sure, he’s 40 now. But, clearly, he had more to give. Tuesday was his chance to prove he could still play and he proved it — at least for a few minutes.

He made his 2019-20 season debut with the Nets on Tuesday and was immediately impactful.

For his first bucket, he drained this three.

And dished off this slick pass.

Oh, and this one too.

Within his first five minutes of play, he scored 3 points and dished out three assists.

Unfortunately, as impactful as his debut was, it was also just as short. Khris Middleton stepped on Crawford’s foot and apparently injured his hamstring, sending him to the locker room after just a few minutes.

The Nets eventually ruled him out for the game and, after just getting Crawford back on the court, we had already lost him.

Fans were so upset. Not just because he’s injured, but because this might actually be the last we see of him.

After two decades in the game, this would be the worst possible way to go out. Hopefully, it’s not too bad and this isn’t the end of Jamal Crawford’s NBA career.

Either way, it was good to see Crawford back hooping again. Even if it was just for a few minutes.

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