The Boston Celtics entered this matchup having won eight of their last nine games against the Brooklyn Nets, and that streak of dominance continued on Tuesday.
The Celtics opened up this contest with three straight buckets out of post-ups, which has been a point of contention among certain circles on social media lately.
Coincidence? Perhaps…
Boston is one of the most efficient teams in the league in those situations, and that trend continued early as part of a balanced offensive attack by the Cs. They operated with intention in transition early, racking up a bunch of easy baskets. Seven minutes into the game, every starter had scored and recorded an assist.
Instead of their usual onslaught from behind the arc, the Celtics opted to punish Brooklyn in the paint, racking up 20 first-quarter points in that area. Meanwhile, the Nets kept things close with a three-point barrage of their own courtesy of Lonnie Walker IV and old friend Dennis Schroder.
The triples started falling late in the first, as Sam Hauser got the ball rolling – eclipsing 1,000 career-points – before Tatum hit three straight of his own from deep.
That late flurry of long-range buckets opened up a 36-30 lead for Boston at the end of the first. Tatum led the way with a quick 16 points, which marked his season-high in the opening quarter.
The hot shooting continued to open the second, with each team sitting comfortably above 50% from the field. The elite offensive rebounding duo of Payton Pritchard and Oshae Brissett wreaked havoc on Brooklyn’s glass in their brief stint together, although their contributions didn’t translate to an extended lead for Boston.
Tatum checked back in with just over seven minutes left in the half and picked up where he left off, burying his fourth triple to remain perfect from long range. The superstar forward then proceeded to pick on Cam Thomas, hitting a tough midrange jumper over the smaller guard effortlessly.
Amidst the Tatum takeover, Brown also quietly worked his way into double digits via a myriad of baskets.
We were treated to some Joe Mazzulla mind games midway through the second, as he opted to intentionally foul Ben Simmons and put him at the line. The results were mixed as Simmons went 2-4 from the charity stripe, but when he checked out of the game Mazzulla didn’t stop! Nic Claxton was his next target, and this time the big man hit both attempts.
The results were mixed, but it was certainly an entertaining idea from Boston’s head coach.
While the Hack-a-Shaq antics occurred, Tatum continued to rack up the points on the other end of the floor at a rapid rate.
The superstar finished with a ridiculous 31 to go along with six rebounds and three dimes at the half as Boston gapped the lead to 72-57.
The Celtics picked up right where they left off to open the second half as Jrue Holiday hit a triple. Known bucket-getter Cam Thomas went on a mini-run of his own to keep the Nets within striking distance, but Boston continued to fire away from long range.
The Cs proceeded to get a little sloppy on both ends of the floor, turning it over and allowing too many offensive rebounds. Unfortunately for the Nets, they lacked the scoring firepower to really make Boston pay for their mistakes.
That small window of opportunity for Brooklyn closed quickly as Tatum took over once again, hitting a three in front of New York native Russell Wilson — and stopping to say something to him afterwards — before throwing down another dunk in transition.
The two sides traded baskets for the remainder of the third and Boston held a 16-point lead with 12 minutes left to play.
The sloppiness returned to open the fourth on both ends of the floor, as the teams shot a combined 1-8 from the field. Brooklyn then went on an extended 11-1 run to get within six points before Derrick White finally snapped it with Boston’s first field goal of the quarter.
White’s three reignited the Celtics’ offense, as they wasted no time pushing the lead back to double digits. A series of ridiculous Cam Thomas shots and poor Boston possessions gave Brooklyn a chance, forcing the Cs to execute in the clutch once again.
As he has done many times this season, Derrick White answered the call with a massive three. Following a defensive stop, White found himself all alone in transition, putting the icing on the cake with a dunk to clinch the 118-110 victory.
Tatum finished with 41 points to lead the way, while every Boston starter racked up at least 14 en route to their 42nd win of the 2023-24 campaign.
Next up, it’s Round 4 of Celtics-Nets on the season one day later in Boston. The Cs host Brooklyn Wednesday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
