The Celtics rallied late but fell short of a comeback in a 113-105 upset loss to the Brooklyn Nets in NBA Cup pool play.
Boston led early in the back-and-forth game but fell apart in the third quarter when Jaylen Brown headed to the bench with foul trouble. The Nets took command with a 19-4 run to build a double-digit that was stretched as large as 18 points in the third quarter.
The Celtics clawed back into the game with a 15-4 run to start the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough as Michael Porter Jr. hit some clutch baskets late to lead a 9-3 run and put the hosts away for good.
Jaylen Brown finished with a team-high 26 points in the setback while Anfernee Simons chipped in with 23 points off the bench. Michael Porter Jr. had 30 points and eight rebounds in the the victory while Nic Claxton added a triple-double in the upset win with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
The Celtics dropped to 1-2 in an NBA Cup in Group B with the defeat, essentially eliminating them from advancing to the knockout round. They are back to .500 on the season with an 8-8 record.
Boston gets one day off before hosting the Magic on Sunday night at TD Garden.
Here are four takeaways from the Nets loss on Friday night:
**Derrick White shooting woes continue:** The starting guard has showed signs of snapping out of his early-season funk but Friday night was a step backwards in that department. White missed 11 of his 13 shots from the field including going 1-of-7 from 3-point range. The inability to hit open looks against the worst defense in the NBA was a problem for Boston as they failed to take advantage of plenty of open looks from White and others across the bench. He finished with just six points in the defeat, with Boston unable to survive an off night from their No. 2 scoring option.
**Celtics fall apart after Jaylen Brown picks up early fifth foul:** The Celtics star got some extra leeway from Joe Mazzulla early in the third quarter, as he stayed on the floor after picking up four fouls. However, he was forced to the bench with 5:52 remaining in the frame after picking up an offensive foul on a drive to he hoop. A challenge by Joe Mazzulla was unsuccessful on the call. The Nets immediately took advantage of Brown’s absence by jumping out to a 19-4 run in the closing minutes of the third quarter to build their biggest lead of the night. Boston was unable to dig out of this hole in the fourth quarter despite an early rally.
**Celtics play flat and sloppy basketball:** The Celtics have brought the energy through their ups and downs this season but they came out lifeless for large stretches of this contest. Miscommunications on defenses led to easy layups for the Nets on multiple occasions. Offensively, a few foolish passes including one by Josh Minott on a final possession before halftime led to easy offense the other way. That decision led to a second half benching for the Celtics forward but it was a lack of defensive intensity by Boston early that helped to dig a big hole for the hosts.
**Anfernee Simons gives Celtics life off the bench:** The backup guard had one of his best offensive efforts of the season on a night the Celtics desperately needed the spark. With Brown in foul trouble and White struggling offensively, Simons hit 10 of his first 14 shots of the night, including 8-of-10 from inside the arc. It was the second best shooting night of Simons career as a Celtic and helped Boston erase much of an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter. However, it wasn’t enough as Boston wasn’t able to sustain the comeback in crunch time.
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