What a win!!!
Down 28 within the second, the Brooklyn Nets tied a franchise document with an enormous comeback, beating the Boston Celtics, 115-105, at TD Garden, leaving Beantown followers in a daze and breaking the Nets four-game shedding streak. The comeback was additionally the most important comeback within the NBA this season and the worst comeback loss by a Boston opponent because the Clippers additionally rallied from 28 all the way down to beat Boston 4 years in the past.
It was additionally probably the most satisfying win of the season … interval.
How massive was the turnaround? After the Nets went down 51-23, they outscored the Celtics, 92-54, a 38-point push propelled by Mikal Bridges who completed with 38 factors, 10 boards and 4 assists. It was the second highest-scoring sport of his profession after setting a brand new career-high with 45 factors in a win over the Miami Heat in his third sport as a Net.
“We just kept fighting, man. We just kept fighting. We got stops, and that was the biggest thing,” Bridges stated in his postgame interview. “We ain’t gonna cease combating it doesn’t matter what the rating is. We had been down massive, however we’re simply gonna struggle.
“I think we kind or realized over a couple of games that offense wasn’t really our problem,” Bridges added. “I feel like our offense is pretty good. But our defense, we got stops and stayed together possession-by-possession. … We just kept and stayed together.”
It appeared like one other Nets defensive catastrophe because the Nets gave up 37 factors within the first quarter, happening 22. It was the thirteenth time in 17 quarters because the All-Star break that Brooklyn had given up 30 or extra factors. Then, within the second, issues received even uglier and with 7:23 within the quarter, the Celtics climbed all the best way as much as a 28-point lead after a Jaylen Brown basket. At that time, Nets staff pleasure took over and by the top of the quarter, the Nets had gotten the lead all the way down to 9, 64-55.
“There was a point in the second quarter when we looked at each other and it was like ‘we’re not going out this way,” stated Cam Johnson who was celebrating his twenty seventh birthday Friday.
It was all Brooklyn ball after that. By 6:27 within the third, the Nets had tied the sport, 70 all, on a Johnson 27-footer. Boston gamers and their followers appeared to consider that ultimately, the Celtics would come alive … however they by no means did.
Over and over, Bridges, Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith stored pushing and by the fourth, the Nets went up by double digits and with 6:54 left. DFS delivered what turned out to be the dagger with 2:23 left. From that time, they coasted, protecting the Celtics at bay. In reality, within the second half, they held Boston to 41 factors.
“I try to keep it real simple with our guys and not complicate it,” Jacque Vaughn stated. “The aim is each single evening we’re making an attempt to win the basketball sport. That’s the aim [every] evening after which we’ll deal with no matter occurs subsequent.
“I haven’t addressed where we are in the standings with our guys, what’s a week from now, I really don’t want them even looking that far ahead. For us, our game plan is dedicated to [Boston] and trying to give what we have.”
Bridges, the participant the Nets coveted within the Kevin Durant commerce, justified their religion in him, capturing 13-of-22 for the sport, together with 4-of-6 from three in addition to 8-of-9 from the stripe. He is now averaging 25.3 as a Net whereas placing up capturing splits of 53/45/94.
“I think when I got traded it was kind of at the right time because when everybody was out in Phoenix I had to take up another role offensively and be more aggressive,” Bridges stated. “By the time I got traded I was in a great rhythm and was confident.”
Johnson, who had three personals within the first three minutes, nonetheless completed with 20 factors with out having a fantastic capturing evening (5-of-16). Dinwiddie, who marshaled the Nets’ offense within the second half, had maybe his greatest sport since returning to Brooklyn, with 17 factors and eight assists. Finney-Smith actually had his greatest sport as a Net, lastly breaking out of an uncharacteristic capturing stoop. DFS shot 5-of-11 from deep on his approach to a 17-point, nine-rebound, three-assist sport. Prior to Friday, DFS had shot solely 20.6% from past the arc.
Finney-Smith, who Vaughn utilized in a number of defensive roles, helped hold Jayson Tatum on a brief leash. Tatum completed with 22 factors, eight beneath his scoring common, capturing 10-of-23 total and lacking all eight of his threes, on his twenty fifth birthday. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 35.
“They beat us in every analytical category possible,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated. “If we don’t commit to the margins, no matter how hard we play, we’re not going to win.”
The Celtics have now misplaced two out of their final three and misplaced extra floor on East-leading Milwaukee, who was idle Friday. The Nets at 35-27 stay the sixth seed with 19 video games to go. They lead the Heat by two and a half video games — three within the loss column — after Miami misplaced to the Knicks who’re in fifth, two video games forward of the Nets.
Vaughn summed issues up as he sat down with the media post-game.
“Oh boy, how about that?” a smiling Vaughn stated. “We figured it out as the game went on….. We’ve shown glimpses of what he can be tonight.”
Milestone Watch
- The win matches the biggest comeback victory in franchise historical past, beforehand completed on March 16, 2022 at New York and March 19, 2019 at Sacramento. In each these video games, the Nets received on late fourth quarter daggers. The Nets outscored the Celtics 100-68 throughout the ultimate three quarters.
- Mikal Bridges has tallied 30+ factors in three of his final six video games, averaging 28.7 over that stretch. He scored 30+ factors in two of the primary 367 video games of his profession.
- This is Dorian Finney-Smith’s third sport with 5 or extra 3-pointers this season and his first since December 6 with Dallas at Denver.
- The Nets now lead the league in tempo during the last 5 video games.
Another Ben Simmons replace
There’s no timetable for the return of Ben Simmons, Jacque Vaughn stated pre-game, including that the 6’11” guard-forward is now experiencing again ache in addition to knee soreness.
“Update on Ben, during his strengthening process, he did experience some back soreness. Now we are in the process of strengthening the knee while also managing the back,” Vaughn stated. “I’m really day to day on what it looks like going forward because of the addition of back.”
So, are the Nets contemplating shutting him down for the season with 19 video games left?
“I’ve had no conversation, zero, about any shutdown,” the pinnacle coach stated.
Simmons has not performed since February 15. He’s solely performed 100 video games within the final three seasons.
What’s Next?
The Nets will return to Brooklyn Sunday for a sport vs. the Hornets, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET.
For a distinct perspective, head over to CelticsWeblog, our sister web site in Brooklyn. Be variety.
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