The Brooklyn Nets jumped all over the Boston Celtics right from the start in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead in the NBA play-offs.
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The Brooklyn Nets jumped all over the Boston Celtics right from the start in Game 2 of the NBA play-offs. The Nets cruised to a 130-108 win to take a 2-0 series lead. The NBA play-offs now shifts to Boston on Friday, and the Celtics are officially in desperation mode. Over 93 percent of teams that go down 2-0 in a best-of-seven series go on to lose the series.
Kevin Durant led the way with 26 points, while James Harden finished with 20 and Kyrie Irving with 15. They shot a collective 20-for-36 from the field, including 7-of-13 from beyond the arc and 14-for-14 from the free-throw line. Because the stars are playing such an efficient, balanced brand of offense, the Nets got everyone involved in Game 2. As such, they made 31 team assists. This combination of individual scoring and the team racking up 30-plus assists make the Nets hard to beat.
Durant, Harden and Irving after shooting a collective 5-for-24 from three in Game 1, combined to get more purchase shooting 7-for-11 from deep on Tuesday. Harden was selective with his stepbacks, while all three stars were on the lookout for Joe Harris. Haris finished 7-for-10 from deep for a career playoff-high 25 points.
Joe Harris would be a fantastic shooter and player on any team, but with all the attention that Durant, Harden and Irving command, it’s borderline unfair.
Harris set a playoff career high with 25 points on 9 of 14 shooting, hitting 7 of 10 three pointers to match a franchise playoff record for three-pointers made. He had 22 points in the first half alone, hitting 6 of 8 three pointers to set a franchise playoff record for three-pointers made in a half and shooting 8 of 11 overall.
Trying to keep up with Brooklyn’s stars is impossible enough. If a team is lucky and they hit a cold streak, as they did in Game 1, you have Harris, one of the best shooters in the world, nailing three pointers.
The Celtics fell behind by 20 or more points 13 times in the regular season. They lost 12 of those games. In Game 2, Boston hit its first 20-point deficit with just over 10 minutes to play in the second quarter (46-26) and trailed by as many as 33 in the third quarter.
The Celtics are not good enough to get down big against Brooklyn and expect to get back in the game. This is especially with the way the Nets have improved their play on the defensive end.
