Playing proactively, with purpose, Boston has reminded everyone what it can be
Boston—playingproactively and with purpose, the Celtics reminded everyone — including themselves — what they can be
The Celtics needed a night where they unleashed all their super powers. Where they looked like the No. 1 team in the NBA. Where they pummeled a quality opponent.
With the likes of the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks gaining ground incrementally, the Celtics made a definitive statement Wednesday against the rival Brooklyn Nets.
They jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first six minutes and cruised behind 26 3-pointers to a 139-96 win at TD Garden, their third win over the Nets in the past two months — all by double digits.
But this one was different. Similar to the runaway win Dec. 7 over the Phoenix Suns, the Celtics played with a purpose from the opening tip. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each had their jumpers falling. Robert Williams was grabbing rebounds. Derrick White was knocking down open corner threes.
And there was little falloff. The Nets sliced a 30-point deficit to 22 in the second period before Joe Mazzulla called a timeout — no, he really did. The Celtics responded with another burst to lead by 34 at halftime.
It was a much-needed performance. An example of how good they can be when they are focused, shots are falling, and they’re playing menacing defense. While the Celtics did set a Garden record for made 3-pointers, they won this game with defense, harassing the Nets into countless poor possessions.
“I think it was pretty much a really complete game,” Tatum said. “We were ready to play today, Three days off, we were fresh. We had a sense of purpose. Our attention to the game plan, we played the right way. You could tell we were ready to go from the jump.”
This was indeed supposed to be a test. The Nets have played well in recent weeks despite the loss of Kevin Durant to a knee injury. Kyrie Irving, who still heard boos every time he touched the ball, spearheaded wins against Utah, Golden State, the New York Knicks, and the Los Angeles Lakers in recent weeks.
The Nets experimented with a small lineup against Boston’s double-big unit of Robert Williams and Al Horford, and failed miserably. The Celtics were so versatile defensively, they were about to switch their big men to open shooters, preventing wide-open or comfortable 3-pointers.
“The last couple of times we’ve played them, they’ve been the better team,” Irving said of the Celtics. “You’ve got to give them credit. They made it difficult. They made our other guys make shots, just do things they don’t want to.”
Irving, of course, has taken a rather interesting approach to his former team. He wasn’t a great teammate or mentor while in Boston, but has mended his relationships with Tatum and — especially — Brown. He views their development like a proud big brother who refined them with tough love.
Whether that’s accurate or not, Irving has expressed admiration for the team’s growth and development without him. He darted to Brooklyn to win a championship and he hasn’t come close. Meanwhile, the team he left has reached the Eastern Conference finals and NBA Finals in the past three years.
Irving played in all three Brooklyn losses to the Celtics this season, and said he notices something distinctly different about this squad.
“When you’re going against a very motivated team such as the Boston Celtics, they have a chip on their shoulder,” Irving said. “It’s clear as day they want to win the championship. They’re not wasting any time with the regular season. I felt like we were just one of those teams in the way. We can’t be one of those teams in the way. We’ve got to be one of those teams that stands up to them, at least show them that we’re going to be competition for them moving forward.”
Irving admitted the Celtics have what the Nets don’t: Continuity and consistency, and he is partly responsible for the chaotic direction of the franchise for the past three years. The hope is the Nets can compete when Durant returns and Ben Simmons gets healthy, but they weren’t competitive Wednesday.