The Boston Celtics are 2-0 up against the Brooklyn Nets after a 114-107 win on Wednesday night. Boston’s defense was the deciding factor in this contest as it made life incredibly difficult for Kevin Durant, again limiting him to shooting just 23.5 percent from the field. The Nets took control early in the game and at times held a 17-point lead, but after halftime the Celtics relented and began to act on offense.
Jayson Tatum hit clutch shots on the stretch to finish the night with 19 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, while Jaylen Brown racked up another 22 points in the win. It was truly an even attack from the Celtics as all five starters hit double digits and Grant Williams made it big with 17 points from the bench. The series will now move to Brooklyn for the next two games as the Nets look to return in this series against a dominant Boston team.
Here are three takeaways from Game 2.
1. The Celtics defense caused all sorts of problems for KD
Durant has built a legacy by being one of the most difficult to protect players in NBA history. His unique combination of size and skill makes his shot essentially unstoppable as he can rise above anyone and pull off a clean look. Every time the ball leaves Durant’s hands, you assume it’s going in; He was such a goalscorer throughout his career.
But on Wednesday night, Durant didn’t look like the usually unstoppable guy as he struggled hard to get into any rhythm. KD finished the game with 27 points, but he only went from the field with 4 of 17, and without the 18 points at the free throw line, he would have had only nine points in the game. This is insane and you have to salute the Celtics defense. This wasn’t just an evening off at the future Hall of Famer. This was an absolutely defensive attack executed perfectly by the Celtics. With every drive down, Durant was met with defensive pressure, either from doubles teams or just from above to smother defenses.
This was more than just Boston setting a few traps for Durant and forcing the ball out of his hands. The Celtics gave Durant no breathing room on offense, and it didn’t matter who was in front of him either. That’s what makes Boston’s defense so elite. It has the ability to switch almost anything, and the Celtics have so much length and athleticism that it’s not entirely surprising that Durant looks nervous on offense. Boston forced him to commit six turnovers as every player within arm’s length of Durant on defense had active hands trying to frustrate him and throw him off rhythm, and it worked. This is arguably the best a team has ever defended against Durant, and it will force Brooklyn to brace for the rest of the series to try and find a way to give him better odds.
2. An even score from Boston
This was one of those games that showed you why depth is so important in the playoffs. Seven players finished the tournament in double figures for the Celtics and Boston made a great showing from their two main bench players in Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard. Williams had an outstanding night from start to finish. In the first quarter, he and Daniel Theis were the only two players with the Celtics who could move anything up front, and kept the game within reach as Brooklyn came out of the gates attacking. His defense was equally notable as he had several solid holdings guarding Durant and helped force him into a few turnovers.
Were it not for the first-half performance of the likes of Williams, Theis and Al Horford, the Nets likely would have been up a lot more early in the third quarter. Instead, the RPGs kept the team afloat, cutting a 17-point lead to just 10 points at halftime. It’s also worth nothing that these players were often able to grab buckets due to passes from Tatum. Despite struggling to score in the first half and only going off the field 2 of 8, Tatum accumulated five assists and put his teammates in a great position to make easy shots. Tatum’s passing was one of the key improvements in his game this season, an area where Smart said the team needed him to improve their game. Tatum took that to heart, and his improved vision of the pitch really showed in Game 2. He influenced the game with his first-half pass and then began taking over the stretch with his goal to help Boston to a win.
3. Kyrie Irving needs to do more
Irving finished the game with just 10 points on 4-of-13 shots from the field and recorded just one assist. That’s unacceptable. The Celtics will continue to swarm Durant down the floor with every drive, and Irving needs to be able to close the gap when that happens. The Nets can’t afford Irving a night off because they don’t have the depth to rely on the boys when the Stars feel defensive pressure.
Bruce Brown did a great job generating offense as he finished with 23 points. But that alone will not be enough. We’ve seen Irving take over games completely and this was his opportunity to do so while KD was struggling. But Irving wasn’t handsome and wasn’t like the dynamic guard who could torch you for 30+ points any night. Not so much attacking the edge or creating opportunities for his teammates, he forced a couple of shots and became a non-factor in the fourth quarter as he finished 1-of-4 with just two points in the final 12 minutes of the game. That won’t be the case against the Celtics, and Brooklyn must hope Irving can get going in Game 3 because if Boston Durant re-applies the staples, Irving will have to get up.