Finishing off the opponent is a tactic which might have fallen out of the Nets’ possession. They retained possession in Game 2 of the NBA Playoffs series between themselves and the Celtics, but could not hold on.
Leading by as much as 17 points at one point in the game, the Nets, led by superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, aimed to bounce back after dropping Game 1 to the Celtics, on a buzzer-beater by Jayson Tatum. However, in the fourth quarter of Game 2, everything went wrong for the Boys in Brooklyn, in Boston.
The Celtics went on a 21-4 run in the fourth quarter, aided by the Nets’ defense going silent. At the same time, the Nets missed 10 of 12 shots, made no free throws or three-pointers, and failed to force any turnovers. Ultimately, the Nets squandered the lead and lost the game 114-107, an even larger margin than Game 1’s 115-114 loss.
Jayson Tatum has guarded 168 possessions in this Nets series, and held opponents to 16 points on 8/25 shooting, with 10 forced TOVs and 3 blocks (2 specifically on KD).
He is also averaging 25/5/9 while shooting 100% in the clutch, and the Celtics have taken a 2-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/nPuSSHu8oq
— HOOPS EMPIRE (@HoopsEmpire_) April 21, 2022
With the Game 2 win, the Celtics have taken both home games and led the series 2-0 thus far. The Nets, meanwhile, are down 2-0, losing both games in Boston. They now head back to Brooklyn for Game 3, which will be on Saturday at the Barclays Center. Newly-acquired star Ben Simmons is still expected to miss the game with a back issue.
The Nets’ sloppy defense, which included Irving dribbling out and missing a pull-up, and Durant losing possession of the ball after Grant Williams poked it away out of bounds, contributed heavily to their loss. Their offensive woes also shone, with Durant missing all ten shots (all ten!) in the second half.
The Nets were up 17 points… Tatum was 5-16… Dragic & Bruce Brown combined for 41… and they lost going away.
Seems impossible given that they have the “most skilled duo in NBA history”… but it’s what happened.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) April 21, 2022
The struggles of Irving and Durant beg the question of whether or not these two are past their prime, although that remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the scrappy Celtics aimed to take advantage of the Nets’ woes, and for the first two games of this series, it has worked.
Nonetheless, the Nets still have a chance to get right back into the series, with a win on Saturday. Lose that game, however, and the Nets will be down 3-0 – a slow, painful sports death.
What did you think of the Celtics’ performance in Game 2, and the Nets’ struggles? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
