C’s in complete control
Close strong on road for 3-0 lead in series
NEW YORK -- The Celtics have often been a better road than home team this season, and now, on a much larger stage, they are on the verge of closing out a team that was once thought to be the sleeping giant of the East.
Based on the Celtics’ 109103 Game 3 win over Brooklyn for a 3-0 first round series lead, that big sleep continues.
Though Jayson Tatum faded in and out of efficiency, needing 29 shots for his 39point performance, the threat down the other end never materialized. Kevin Durant (16 points, 6-for-11), gang-covered again by the Celtics defensive scheme, and Kyrie Irving (16) were never able to rise above the defensive challenge. Overall, the mistake-prone Nets turned the ball over 21 times for 37 Celtics points.
As well as Tatum and Jaylen Brown rallied to carry the offense down the stretch, nowhere was their work more evident than in what they managed defensively. Tatum’s work on Durant continued the string of rough performances in this series by the Brooklyn star. Tatum also finished the night with six steals -- a playoff high for the Celtics forward.
“He’s been that all year for us,” said Ime Udoka. “I talk about our team being a collective unit, being the No. 1 defensive team, and that takes everyone buying in. He doesn’t always get the credit for that because of his scoring prowess. You look at Marcus and Rob, some of the things Al and Jaylen are doing, he’s another guy that allows us to be who we are defensively, taking on the challenge against Durant. Done a tremendous job in this series, but he’s been that all year. It’s overlooked. That’s a big part of his game but it’s overlooked.”
The overall excellence of
the defense cushioned the return of Rob Williams, who played 16 minutes -- his ceiling was 20 -- had a block on Andre Drummond and a lob dunk during his performance.
“I thought he was great, honestly could have played more,” said Udoka. “He had no problems at all, his confidence is up. That’s what we wanted to see tonight, a lower-minute
game. Had him slotted for more, he got to 15 and half and he felt good, and impacted the game in a positive way.”
Brown, who scored nine of 11 Celtics points during one torrid fourth quarter stretch that found the Celtics opening the margin back up, finished with 23 points.
Brown’s burst plus a Tatum corner 3 came in threeminute
stretch that gave the Celtics a 93-84 lead. Brooklyn called timeout, and Tatum stole the ball from Blake Griffin, converting the fast break into a three-point play and a 12-point edge with 6:20 left.
Al Horford negated a 4-0 Nets spurt with a corner 3 for a 99-88 lead, Tatum followed with a drive that pushed the lead to 13 points
with 3:52 left, and Smart hit for a 103-88 lead. The Nets ran off four more points and this time Tatum dunked to put it out of reach.
The Celtics answered a 10-3 Brooklyn run late in the third with a quarter-closing 6-0 burst of their own, including a put-back and pull-up jumper from Smart, followed by a Brown drive off the break after Al Horford stole the ball from the just-subbed-in Blake Griffin.
The result was an 81-72 lead at the start of the fourth, and the Nets were never able to get closer than two points.
Smart’s drive gave the Celtics a 53-50 halftime lead, after they led by as many as 12 points in the second quarter. Tatum had 12 points, Prichard 10, and in his sevenminute stint, Rob Williams demonstrated that he hasn’t lost anything around the rim. Durant (seven points) and Irving (10) were once again relatively quiet.
The Nets turned the ball over on four of their first five possessions of the third, but were also able to answer a 7-0 Celtics run with an 8-0 burst of their own that cut the Celtics lead to 60-58 on two Irving free throws.
But the Nets couldn’t close the gap further. Tatum’s three-point play off the break was good for a 75-65 lead with 3:13 left in the third, though it came in the midst of a 10-3 Nets run that closed the margin in a hurry to 75-72.