Why the Boston Celtics’ plan to stop Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving was a masterpiece of defense

The first half, less so — but the Celtics put the clamps on in the third quarter and did not take them off until the final buzzer sounded.

The first half of the Boston Celtics’ Game 2 matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday was an ugly affair for fans of the Celtics watching all the elements of the style of play Boston ran with in their mediocre start to the 2021-22 NBA season playout in a nightmarish re-run that saw the Nets go up 17 points on the Celtics.

But the disjointed defense and over-reliance on individual play were pushed aside as the first half wound down, and the team that took the floor against Brooklyn in the second half put on a masterclass of why their defense vaulted them from 11th place in the East standings to second by season’s end.

The amazing second-half performance orchestrated by Boston caught the attention of NBA fans and analysts as it forced stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving into one of their worst offensive halves of the season — and in KD’s case, his recent career.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear what the hosts of ESPN’s “Keyshawn, JWill, and Max” have to say about the Celtics’ amazing Game 2 second-half performance vs. the Nets.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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