Recap: Kyrie Clutches Up to Beat Celtics, 121-109
AP Photo | Mary Schwalm
Kyrie Irving led the Nets to a hard-fought, 121-109 win for the Nets. Marcus Smart battled hard in his return to the Celtics lineup, but it wasn’t enough to beat the offensive juggernaut that is Brooklyn.
The Celtics began the game with some great energy. Kemba Walker got off to a hot start, looking like his old self. He scored 9 points, leading the team after one. Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson were super active in the offense, too. They combined for 8 first-quarter points. Boston found the right matchups on offense and created good looks early on.
The Nets, on the other hand, struggled to get into a rhythm on offense. It wasn’t until the end of the quarter where they began to catch up. Landry Shamet hit three 3s in the first alone, and Irving also started to get hot.
Irving continued this hot stretch into the second quarter, where the Nets were able to take control of the game. Their offensive prowess was on full display as they racked up points. They outscored the Celtics 35-26 in the second. Both Irving and James Harden turned things up a notch, as they combined for 19 second-quarter points.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both struggled mightily in the first half. Tatum was 1/5 from deep and Brown was 1/9 from the field through two. They had 11 and 2 points, respectively. Despite their rough shooting starts, the C’s were able to keep it close at the half, with the Nets leading 58-55.
The third quarter saw Irving continue to build on his monstrous performance, but the Celtics were staying in it. Marcus Smart was hitting some big shots for the C’s, as Tatum’s night slowly improved as well. Both of these guys had massive third quarters to help keep Boston in the game. A tough whistle on Smart briefly shifted momentum in favor of the Nets, but the C’s were able to stay within 2 points by the end of the third.
Things got intense in the fourth quarter. Tatum was absolutely carrying the Celtics in the final quarter, while Harden turned up the heat for the Nets. Brooklyn torched the Celtics from deep in the fourth quarter, too. It was close throughout, but there were some really tough swings in favor of the Nets that kept hurting the C’s.
Brown hit a big shot with just over two minutes left, but the Celtics got sloppy late in the game. Tatum turned the ball over with under two minutes to go which led to a huge three from Irving. There were a few swings like that one in the fourth quarter, and they ended up being the downfall of Boston in this one. Combine that with Brown’s off night and the C’s were in for an uphill battle.
Irving dropped 40 points in what ended up being a 121-109 win for the Nets. Boston stayed in it all night long, but Brooklyn put the nail in the coffin with a barrage of fourth-quarter threes. The Celtics’ next game will be on Sunday night against the Rockets at 8:00 PM EST on NBC Sports Boston.
