The Boston Celtics hosted the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night for their first matchup of the season between the division rivals. Fresh off a tough loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, the Celtics were hoping to bounce back. But the Nets were determined to spoil the party.
An ugly start to the game by the Celtics put the Nets out early, but they spent the rest of the night climbing all the way back. By the time the final few minutes came around, it was neck-and-neck. But in the end, the Celtics found a way to pick up a win over the scrappy, overachieving Nets, earning a 1098-104 victory in overtime.
Here are three studs and three duds from the Celtics’ SCORE overtime win over the Nets on Friday night.
Stud - Jrue Holiday
The Nets started this game on a 16-2 run. The Celtics looked lost on both ends of the court. But Jrue Holiday stepped in and breathed some wind into their sails.
It wasn’t anything crazy, but Holiday scored Boston’s first seven points of the game, including an and-one layup to cap it off. He got inside and played bully ball against the Nets, using his strength to work out of the post.
Boston found their footing eventually, but before Holiday forced the issue, they looked lost. Holiday strung together a few buckets when the Celtics needed it most.
A quiet second quarter and low-key third quarter were followed by a nice fourth for Holiday, who picked up right where he left off with some interior scoring as the Celtics were trying to force their way back into the game.
He was a nice, steady hand for Boston on a night where they were anything but steady.
Dud - Xavier Tillman
Any semblance of confidence has evaporated from Xavier Tillman’s body. Joe Mazzulla gave Tillman the start against Brooklyn, but after just 5:52utes of action, he was pulled. And he never saw the floor again.
In his six minutes, Tillman was a -14 and shot 0-of-3 from the floor—all three-pointers. Whenever he got the ball behind the arc, he looked hesitant. And when he was driving close-outs, they were rushed.
Add on a fairly rough showing on the defensive end, and it’s clear that Tillman was out of sorts, just as he’s been all year.
Tillman was great in the preseason and looked primed to play a real role on this Celtics roster. Now, he can’t seem to do anything right.
Stud - Payton Pritchard
Just like Holiday gave the Celtics some life in the first few minutes of the game, Payton Pritchard was a breath of fresh air for the Celtics in the second.
When the second quarter rolled around, Boston was still trying to find their footing, battling back from an early hole that they put themselves in. The offense was still a bit slow, but Pritchard helped propel it forward.
In the second, Pritchard put up 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the floor and 2-of-2 shooting from behind the three-point arc.
Pritchard’s work with the ball in his hands, including a pair of impressive buckets in the paint (one of which was an and-one), was huge for Boston.
And once overtime rolled around, Pritchard was just as essential. He made a big shot with a mid-range turnaround and got himself to the line not long after.
Dud - First two minutes
This could really be extrapolated into the entire first quarter, but the first two minutes were dreadful for the Celtics.
From the opening play, it was a mess. The Celtics were switching everything, but on one play, Jayson Tatum didn’t switch, and Dennis Schroder got an open layup.
Throw in some miscommunications defensively and a choppy offense, and Boston was down the creek without a paddle. Mazzulla called his earliest timeout of the season at the 10:00 mark (exactly two minutes into the game), when the Nets were up 9-0.
That extended to a 16-2 lead for the Nets, which was their largest of the game, capping off the Celtics’ worst start to a game so far this year.
Stud - Second-half Jayson Tatum
The first half was tough for the Celtics superstar. He looked rough defensively, and nothing outside of a hot stretch from the corner, he didn’t quite look like his normal self.
But once the second half rolled around, he locked in.
Though he still had a few defensive lapses, Tatum played with a purpose. A string of transition buckets, highlighted by his own steal and slam, ignited the Celtics as they were trying to get back into the game.
Then, in the fourth quarter, his defense, driving, and playmaking were essential. He was the player the Celtics needed. The MVP.
Tatum delivered in a big way in the second half and was the driving force behind them, eventually closing out a comeback win against a feisty Nets squad. His end-game shot wasn't ideal, but his dunk to put Boston in that position was electric.
Dud - Sam Hauser
The biggest reason Boston struggled to find their footing in this game was their inability to knock down threes. A team known for their shooting, Boston had one of their worst nights of the year from behind the arc. And Sam Hauser embodied that.
He shot just 2-of-10 from distance, and a lot of the shots he missed came in big moments when Boston needed to keep up their momentum. (That said, he did nail a big-time three late in the fourth).