Hardwood Houdini
Fansided

Boston Celtics Blow Away the Brooklyn Nets

By Joshua Bateman

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The Boston Celtics entered their game against the Brooklyn Nets coming off of a gut wrenching 18 point blown lead against the Dallas Mavericks. When the Celtics got a similar lead early on against the Nets, there was never any sense that they were going to blow this one.

The Celtics took control of the game early on despite shooting struggles. A 1/10 starts from three point range allowed the Nets to keep it close, but only for a matter of time. The Celtics got the separation they needed because of defense and then the shots started falling and the Celtics came away with their most lopsided victory of the season. In fact, the Celtics’ 58% shooting was the best mark any team has reached for a game this season.

The Celtics had one of their most complete games of the season and the one and only area the Nets had any edge was total rebounds. Who knows how deep the Nets would have fallen without their 14 offensive rebounds but it was no where near enough to make up for every other phase of the game.

The Celtics finally had a strong shooting game. They started shaky but rebounded to finish shooting 58% on the night and 34.5% from three. Of course, they still left a lot to be desired from three but the fact that they finished at 35% after starting 1/10 is a testament to how well they shot the rest of the way.

As great as the Celtics shot, it was their passing that dominated the game. To say the Celtics passed well would be an overwhelming understatement. 39 assists is simply mind blowing and exceeds any expectations on any standards. The Celtics had 5 different players with at least 4 assists and every one of the starters ended with multiple assists. The ball movement was working at every position and the Celtics did their best job of taking advantage of those opportunities.

Nov 20, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) reacts after his basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics have an opportunity to now be the league leader in assists and all that does is make you wonder how high those numbers could be if they had been shooting well all season long.

After scoring just 5 points in transition against the Mavericks, the Celtics got back to what they do best by scoring 20 points in transition against the Nets. They also thoroughly dominated the Nets in the paint as their 68 points inside were 28 more than the Nets’ 40. Even when the Celtics were missing everything from downtown, they got anything they wanted on the inside.

The Celtics did their best job at taking advantage of a weaker team and their relentless passing and activity on defense proves that they will take no nights off, even against the weaker opponents. A lot of people were starting to wonder if the Nets could separate from the Lakers and the 76ers at the bottom of the league, but the Celtics did a great job of putting those talks on hold.

The Celtics scored 120 points and had a grand total of 10 free throw attempts. The Celtics are embracing their offensive system and when they play a team that is of the caliber of the Nets, they are finally looking dominant on that end.

Once again, Avery Bradley led the way on the offensive end. It appears as though anyone coming off the Celtics’ bench is going to have success as Bradley shot 10-13 for 21 points. Jae Crowder also had a season high 19 points on just 12 shots and Isaiah Thomas continued to create for himself and his teammates with 18 points and 9 assists.

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The Celtics had a game to get excited about but they have reached a point where they did nothing more than what is expected of them. The Celtics need to come out and have another commanding victory against the Nets on sunday so they can put together another winning streak.

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