The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Boston Celtics on Friday night for what ended up being a close game. The Nets came out on top with the win, moving back up to the No. 1 spot in the East after being tied with the Philadelphia 76ers. As for the Celtics, they continue to go back and forth between winning and losing during their season. Despite losing, the Celtics made sure to make it a close game, in the end, the Nets only winning by 5 points (109-104).
Irving Just Short of Another Triple-Double
Kyrie Irving fell short of picking up another triple-double by only 1 rebound on Friday night. Irving, who makes up 1/3 of the “Big Three,” has not had the chance to play many games with Kevin Durant and James Harden. The big three players have only played 7 games together this season. Without the big three in the lineup, the Nets were 5-2 until this Friday night win.
After having to play without Durant and Harden, Irving made sure to help lead him to a win. Despite this not being one of the best games for Irving, he ended with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists. Driving to the basket and drawing a foul is one thing Irving is known for and made sure to do during this matchup. By the end of the game, Irving made 100% of his free throws, going 7/7 from the line.
Tatum and the Celtics Unable to Shut Down the Nets
Jayson Tatum had a high-scoring game during this matchup against the Nets, but it was not enough to earn the win. Tatum scored 25 points by the end of the second quarter. By the end of the matchup, Tatum had shot 50% from the 3-point line making 6/12 of his shots. Ending with 38 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists, Tatum had the most points. One thing the Celtics team struggled with during the matchup was fast breakpoints. The Nets had scored 32 fast break points by the end of the matchup.
Along with Tatum, Payton Pritchard also had a fantastic game. Pritchard, known for shooting threes, made sure to make strong ones during this matchup. He went 6/7 from the three-point line by the end of the game. After shooting 8/12 from the field, along with the three-pointers, Pritchard ended with 22 points. The Celtics battled hard to come back from what was an 11-point lead after the second quarter. The Nets have now swept the Celtics in the two teams season series.
Up Next
On Sunday, April 25th at 1:00 pm the Celtics will visit the Charlotte Hornets, continuing their 2-game road trip. The Nets will host the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, April 25th, at 3:30 pm.
