Too easy.
From the jump, the Boston Celtics were in full-throttle mode against the Brooklyn Nets last night. Below are our key points and takeaways from the game. The matchup was lopsided through all four quarters. Brooklyn didn’t stand a chance against the Celtics’ dominant performance, and never saw the light of day in the flurry of three-pointers, crossovers, and fast-break plays.
1. The Celtics ended the first quarter with nearly 50 points!
The first quarter flew by and in just twelve minutes, the Celtics nearly dropped a 50-piece (46-16). A thirty-point lead, with 36 minutes of play left, was this game over already?! Is it even fair to bring up that the Nets were missing KD and Ben Simmons? Would it have made a difference? Does it even matter at this point?
2. The Nets’ defense was MIA.
The Celtics took advantage of the Nets’ lackluster performance on the defensive end. Easy buckets and open looks in the lane helped build the Celtics’ lead. In transition, Celtics’ shots were barely contested. Nets players couldn’t stop the ball.
3. The Jays were dialed in.
No doubt the Jays showed up and showed out this game. And rightfully so. Dubbed the best duo in the league, Jayson Tatum finished with 31 points, while Jaylen Brown chipped in 26 points.
4. The Nets couldn’t get a run.
Was the game too fast-paced for the Nets? Possibly. Brooklyn never made a serious run that would have had the Celtics worried about a possible comeback. Irving finished with 20. And aside from Joe Harris and Cam Thomas finishing in double digits, the rest of the Nets barely showed up.
5. The Boston Celtics bench maintained the lead to close things out.
The Celtics got away with the lead early on, and it got to a point where Joe Mazzulla was clearing out his bench in the third quarter. And instead of giving the Nets a chance to catch up, the deep Celtics bench maintained the lead.
6. The Celtics were too big.
The Nets’ small line-up was no match-up for the Celtics. They were just too big. Without Kevin Durant, Brooklyn couldn’t keep up with Boston’s bigger, talented wing players. “It’s a physicality piece that we didn’t bring to the table,” said Coach Vaughn.
Amidst all of these highlights, this Celtics squad continued to make history. The 46-16 first quarter was the biggest first-quarter lead in the franchise’s long history!! Tatum and Brown’s combined performance also made history, as the duo scored at least 25 points (each) for the 27th time this season!
Another fun fact? The Brooklyn Nets have not been able to beat the Boston Celtics since Nov. 24, 2021. The Celtics are now 10-0 against their biggest rivals in the East. And according to Tatum, the Celtics are “not done until we win a championship.”
20 PTS in the first half for Jayson Tatum 🥶
— NBA (@NBA) February 2, 2023
He's got 20 PTS, 6 REB, and 4 3PM on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/inMcyqPvZ3
There are blowout wins and there’s whatever level of embarrassment that just was at the Garden. #Celtics humiliated the Nets from the opening tip. 139-96 thumping for the NBA leaders.
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) February 2, 2023
https://twitter.com/MambaSZN/status/1620968059124207617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1620968059124207617%7Ctwgr%5Ee3e150036553598ea43ddc472bd28eb101051fa6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F10063868-nets-ripped-by-nba-twitter-for-abysmal-shooting-in-blowout-loss-vs-celtics
