Recap: Celtics Get Buried by Nets’ Offensive Onslaught, Lose Game 2 130-108
Brad Penner | USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics took on the Nets in Game 2 of their series after dropping Game 1, 104-93. Brooklyn’s offense was turned up to the max as they put on a dazzling display, dominating the C’s 130-108. Boston looked lost on defense as the Nets poured in bucket after bucket.
Jayson Tatum ended the night with only nine points after exiting the game with an apparent eye injury in the third quarter. Kevin Durant hit him in the face, though no foul was called. Kemba Walker improved from Game 1, scoring 17 points on 5-11 shooting, but looked terrible on the defensive end of the floor. He added seven assists to his totals as well.
Marcus Smart (19) and Evan Fournier (16) both played well, however. The pair combined to shoot 11-22 from the field and 9-13 from deep. They accounted for nine of Boston’s 12 total three-pointers on the night.
Meanwhile, the Nets got production from almost everywhere. Joe Harris stole the show early on, exploding for 16 first-quarter points. He ended the night with 25 points, shooting 9-14 from the field and 7-10 from deep. The Celtics allowed him to get way too many open looks from outside.
The Nets’ big three did their thing as well, combining to score 61 points. Durant led all scorers with 26, adding eight rebounds, five assists, and four blocks to his totals, too. Both Kyrie Irving and James Harden finished with 5+ assists and 5+ rebounds as well.
Blake Griffin looked like he was playing with the Clippers again. He threw down two and-one dunks in the span of two minutes after not recording any dunks in a Pistons uniform this season. Brooklyn’s aggressiveness and fluid ball movement killed the Celtics all night long.
The Celtics finished the night with 23 total assists while Brooklyn had 31. There was very little ball movement and it showed in the final score. The Nets made it clear why they are favorited to win the series, and Boston is now only two losses away from the offseason.
The series travels to Boston for Game 3, which will take place this Friday, May 28. Tip-off is set for 8:30 PM EST on TNT.
