The Celtics were a little sloppy early, but they made sure to get the 113-99 win over the Nets on Tuesday in Brooklyn. The C’s improved to 8-7, the first time they’re above the .500 mark this season. The Nets dropped 2-12.
While the Nets have navigated a tough season, they played the Celtics tough all night. It was all Nets in the first quarter, leading by as many as 10 points. But the C’s quickly erased the deficit, it was a close game for most of the game.
The Celtics looked like they were going to pull away at multiple points, but the Nets stayed within single-digits to hang around throughout the night. The Celtics made their finishing blow late as the Nets didn’t have enough firepower to put together a comeback bid. The Nets went a stretch of 9:12 without making a bucket in the fourth quarter.
Jaylen Brown led the way with 29 points, including 23 in the second half. Payton Pritchard added 22 points and 10 rebounds for the C’s. Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points and six rebounds while Day’Ron Sharpe had 16 points and seven rebounds for the Nets.
The Celtics rematch the Nets at 7:30 p.m. Friday, this time in Boston and also part of NBA Cup play. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Brooklyn:
Avoiding the clutch: Part of why the Celtics struggled to put together wins this season has been due to their struggles in clutch games. They entered Tuesday with a 3-5 record in the clutch, which is defined as any game within five points with less than five minutes left. That wasn’t an issue Tuesday as the Celtics didn’t let the Nets threaten the final score. The Nets have also been putrid in the clutch this season, but it didn’t get that far Tuesday.
Uncharacteristic night: Credit the Nets for making shots, but the Celtics looked like a different team throughout the first half. They turned the ball over 12 times, leading to 17 points for the Nets. Brooklyn also had a startling 22-0 advantage in fast-break points by halftime. The Celtics came into Tuesday’s game averaging just 11.0 turnovers per game, which is the best mark in the NBA. The C’s finished with a season-high 19 turnovers, including eight from Brown, in what was an issue throughout the night.
Making some noise: It’s been a quieter few games for Josh Minott, who broke out earlier this season. Part of it has been Jordan Walsh emerging in a starting role as his defense has impressed. But don’t forget about Minott, who had a stretch of starting nine straight games for the C’s this year. Minott impressed in his 19 minutes Tuesday, finishing with 10 points and four rebounds, shooting 3-for-3 on his 3-pointers. The energy was naturally there again as he continued to play hard.
That’s more like it: Sam Hauser played a season-low seven minutes in the Clippers victory as he’s struggled shooting the ball in November. He came in 5-for-34 in his last seven games on 3-pointers, including not making multiple 3s in any of those games. But Hauser closed out the win Tuesday, finishing with eight rebounds, seven rebounds and three assists. He also shot 2-for-5 on his 3-pointers. It’s a long season and Hauser’s in a current slump, but he looked more like himself Tuesday.
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