The Brooklyn Nets celebrated the Year of the Dragon on Tuesday, but the Chinese New Year didn’t bring new results, as the Brooklyn Nets lost 118-110 to the Boston Celtics.
This brings the team's record to 0-3 against the Celtics this season and the loss dropped the Nets to 21-32, with a 6-14 record since January 1.
The first quarter was exciting basketball. Point guard Dennis Schröder, who was recently acquired from the Toronto Raptors in a trade-deadline deal, has been up and down in his first two games with the Nets. At the 5:31 mark of the first quarter, Schröder sparked a mini-run with a big rebound and two timely 3-point shots within 43 seconds and gave the Nets early momentum.
A few teammates dropped snap-fast passes from Schröder, which should happen less as the season progresses and teammates learn his moves.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum exploded for 10 points in the last two minutes of the first quarter, hitting three 3-pointers and a free throw to score 16 first-quarter points as the Celtics took a 36-30 lead after the first frame. Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV was particularly effective in the first quarter, coming off the bench to score 10 points on perfect 4-4 shooting.
Tatum kept up the pressure in the second period, scoring 15 points while going 6-6 from the free throw line, where he was often serenaded with “MVP” chants from Celtics fans who were all over the arena.
The Nets trailed 72-57 at the intermission, buoyed by Tatum’s dominant 31 points and 6-rebound-performance in the first half. Tatum was in rhythm on deep shots and effective on drives to the hoop, going 4-7 from the 3-point line and finding buckets around the rim.
The game swayed for the Celtics in the third quarter. They shot 50% from both the field and the 3-point line and held a 23-point advantage, leading 93-70 at the 4:19 mark of the third, and led 98-82 when the fourth quarter opened.
The Nets displayed Brooklyn grit when they went on an 11-1 run to open the fourth quarter, led by Nets guard Cam Thomas scoring 7 of the 11 points, while Schröder grabbed three crucial rebounds. The home team's resilience sparked fans to roar as the Nets battled against the Celtics, which at game time, had an NBA-best 41-12 record.
The Celtics were up 108-95 at the 5:38 mark of the 4th quarter when Nets center Nic Claxton was given a technical foul. When Tatum stepped to the line to shoot the freebie, he was once again serenaded with “MVP” chants from the sell-out crowd, in what is becoming a common occurrence at Barclays Center this season, where the visiting team's star player gets the loudest love during the game.
Tatum's foul shot pushed the Celtics' lead to 14 points. With over half the quarter expired, the point differential was insurmountable for the Nets who fought to the end and outscored the Celtics 28-20 in the 4th quarter. Guard Cam Thomas scored an efficient 26 points on 10-20 shooting, including 4-7 from three.
The Nets' next game is after the All-Star break when they visit Toronto to play the Raptors on February 22.
