Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Nets: Boston's Supporting Cast at Center of C's Fifth-Straight Victory
The Celtics improved to 7-0 on the second half of back-to-backs and 13-1 when playing twice in two days this season, earning a 109-98 win over the Nets.
While Jayson Tatum struggled to find his rhythm offensively, registering 20 points on 22 shots, going 2/10 from beyond the arc, Boston's supporting cast stepped up.
Malcolm Brogdon, who provided 16 points off the bench, helped change the pace of play in the second half to a more up-tempo style that favors the Celtics.
Derrick White was terrific at both ends, contributing 15 points, drilling 4/7 threes, grabbing seven rebounds, and earning a game-high plus-14 plus-minus rating.
Boston also got 11 points and five rebounds from Luke Kornet, who quickly made an impact off the bench, and nine from Payton Pritchard.
The Nets tried to overcome Kevin Durant's absence by launching more threes, making 13/34 (38.2 percent), but Boston consistently attacked the rim, especially when Nic Claxton was out of the game, translating to 54 points in the paint and 15 more at the free-throw line.
Now, a deep dive into the Celtics' fifth-straight win and what stood out from each quarter of Thursday's game.
Nets' Supporting Cast Propels Hosts in First Frame
Boston first got on the board by turning a block into points at the opposite rim, as the Celtics did quite a bit in Wednesday's win against the Pelicans.
Jayson Tatum swatted a Kyrie Irving three-point attempt, leading to Marcus Smart regaining control of the ball after Ben Simmons swiped at it, then delivering a dime to Robert Williams for a dunk.
Smart later fashioned another highlight reel assist, whipping a bounce pass from beyond half court that hit Tatum in stride at the foul line for a layup.
Tatum registered seven points and two assists, plus that block, in the opening frame.
Matching him for a team-high in the former category, Luke Kornet came off the bench to give Boston productive minutes that matter even more on a night Al Horford's missing from the lineup.
Kornet drilled an open three from the right corner and cleaned up a missed layup by Tatum on a drive where he cracked Irving on an especially physical rim attack.
Brooklyn's star guard, whose first shift may have been coming to an end regardless, after playing the first 7:44 of the quarter, subbed out holding his chest.
But while the Celtics produced 20 points in the paint to the Nets' 14, the hosts' supporting cast stepped up to steer Brooklyn to a 31-29 advantage after 12 minutes.
Simmons didn't attempt a field goal, but he did distribute seven assists. Joe Harris provided ten points on 4/5 shooting, and T.J. Warren contributed seven off the bench.
Nets Make Their Living from Beyond the Arc, While the Celtics Continue Attacking the Basket
The first 2:48 of the second quarter saw the Nets extend a run that started in the final minute of the first, as an Irving three followed by a Seth Curry jumper and a free throw from the latter boosted Brooklyn's burst to 15-4, giving the hosts a 41-33 lead.
Boston started the second quarter with a trio this author's written about deploying since the summer and has brought up again recently with the Feb. 9 trade deadline on the horizon.
Playing Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard together is something the Celtics have been reticent to do. But with Jaylen Brown sidelined, they leaned into utilizing that combination on Thursday.
That group helped Boston swing momentum to the visitors, including being at the center of an 8-0 run, featuring four-straight Celtics points by White, including a three off a feed from Brogdon. Then, a Brogdon drive led to a Sam Hauser put-back, and Pritchard knocked down a three, pulling Boston within one, 43-42.
After that, both teams traded blows, but Tatum getting fouled shooting a three with nine seconds left in the first half, then going perfect at the line, gave the Celtics a 60-57 lead at halftime.
At the break, Tatum had 14 points on 5/11 shooting, including going 1/5 from beyond the arc. Producing seven points in each quarter despite struggling to find his rhythm from long range speaks to his stardom.
Boston also got 12 points and excellent defense from White, who registered a team-best plus-minus rating of plus-eight.
And while it was evident the Nets wanted to take a higher volume of threes with Kevin Durant out, the Celtics made it a point to attack the basket, especially when Nic Claxton was on the bench, leaving Brooklyn without a rim protector.
The Nets knocked down 7/16 (43.8 percent) of the threes they hoisted in the first two quarters, while Boston produced 30 points in the paint.
Momentum Shifts as the Pace Picks Up in the Third Frame
The Celtics have often gotten off to a slow start after halftime. They committed four turnovers in the first 4:30 of the third quarter, and Brooklyn staged a 9-0 run, taking a 69-66 lead after Simmons intercepted a pass from Smart, resulting in Irving finding Harris for a layup.
The hosts also got terrific defense from Claxton, acting as a free safety, much like Robert Williams does, swatting three shots, including one from the Timelord, and earning a plus-six plus-minus rating in a period where he only had one field goal attempt.
But while the Nets controlled the pace, dictating a slow tempo for much of the frame, Brogdon helped change that. Boston's sixth man subbed in with 4:37 left in the quarter. He quickly made an impact, burying a three after Grant Williams blocked Curry beyond the arc, then capitalized on a pull-up jumper.
He and Grant Williams each led the visitors with six points in the frame. The latter's attacking off the dribble and generating four points at the free-throw line provided added value that the Celtics needed, as Tatum went 1/5, scoring only three points.
Boston's five turnovers helped Brooklyn score 12 fast-break points, finding an additional scoring avenue. But with the pace getting faster and the visitors outproducing the hosts 6-2 to close the quarter, the Celtics had momentum and an 84-82 advantage entering the final 12 minutes.
Early Fourth-Quarter Run Helps Celtics Seal Their Fifth-Straight Win
Boston's boost from the trio of White, Pritchard, and Brogdon was in full effect at the start of the final frame.
The former rotated to the rim to block a T.J. Warren layup, then drew a charge against Yuta Watanabe.
Pritchard produced two-straight buckets, first getting to the cylinder for a layup, then uncorking a high-arching teardrop from nine feet, extending the Celtics' lead to 90-84 with 10:03 remaining.
On the ensuing play, White and Kornet trapped Irving after he came off a side pick-and-roll. The latter tried sending a skip pass to Royce O'Neale at the opposite wing, but he couldn't get enough on it, and Brogdon picked it off and muscled his way to a transition layup for his second basket of the period. That gave the visitors their largest lead, 92-84.
With the lead hovering around ten, Robert Williams pushed it back up to double digits, delivering a put-back dunk, cleaning up an airball from Tatum he jokingly pretended was a pass, giving Boston a 101-91 advantage with 3:53 to go.
One could sense Brooklyn buckling, and when Tatum drove down the middle of the lane against minimal resistance, finishing off the glass while getting fouled, it created an increased sense the Nets didn't have a counterpunch in them.
Two-straight turnovers led to a quick 5-0 burst by the hosts, but the Celtics mostly maintained good spacing, helping Tatum make light work of double teams aimed at getting the ball out of his hands.
They also utilized the often-reliable concept of Tatum screening for Smart. Late in the game, doing so resulted in a miscommunication, where O'Neale and Warren went with the latter as he attacked off the pick. Smart snapped a behind-the-back bounce pass to Tatum, who swung the ball to White for an open three from the left corner.
That represented the knockout blow, giving Boston a 107-96 lead with 1:13 on the clock, helping the Celtics close out their 109-98 win.
Up Next
The Celtics travel to Charlotte to face the Hornets on Saturday. The game tips off at 7:00 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
This Insane Stat Shows Just How Dominant Celtics Have Been so Far This Season
The Top 5 Plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Pelicans Game
This Wild Stat Shows How Big of an Impact Robert Williams Has Had For Celtics
Knicks Reportedly Interested In Trading Wing, Should Celtics Consider Deal?
