Graphic by Owen Serra
Sam Dutton
Sports Reporter
If you had told a Celtics fan during the first half of the season that they would knock the Nets out of the playoffs, they probably would not have taken you seriously. Fast forward to April 25th, the Celtics finished a hard-fought 116-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets, completing the 4-0 sweep in the first round.
Game 1 of the series was debatably the most brutal fight for the Celtics. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combined for over 60 points, and Jason Tatum barely won the game at the buzzer. The Celtics earned the win, and it helped set the tone for the rest of the series.
An energetic crowd at TD Garden was crucial for the Game 2 win, and “boos” echoed across the court whenever the Net’s players touched the ball. The Celtics also played smarter defense on Irving, holding him to just 10 points that game. The Celtics’ offensive side was an even showing, with seven players scoring between 10 and 22 points. Grant Williams also played his role well in the 6th man slot, scoring 17 points for the Celtics.
The Celtics kept up the hard, physical defense in the Game 3 victory. They kept Durant and Kyrie to a combined 32 points–just half of what they scored in game 1. On offense, Jason Tatum pioneered the team to the 109-103 win with 39 points across 45 minutes on the court.
In game 4, the Nets essentially lost the game for themselves. The Net’s Center, Nick Claxton, missed 10 straight free throws. Had he made half of them, the Nets would have won by one point. Regardless, Boston wrapped up the humiliating series with a win and sent the Nets home.
The Celtics are as ready as they will ever be to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. If they play with the same determination and hunger to win, there is no doubt in my mind that they can send Milwaukee home as well.
