The Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets 129-106 thanks to a game-high 30 points by Jayson Tatum.
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The game’s highlight came when Jayson Tatum swooped in and banged home a dunk, but he wasn’t the only Celtics player who didn’t face any opposition from the Nets’ defense on this night. The Celtics returned from the All-Star break with another romp in Brooklyn, defeating the Nets 129-106 on Thursday night. Tatum led the way with 30 points.
JT took care of business as tonight’s @gatorade player of the game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/uAnLMMbDjp
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 25, 2022
Marcus Smart scored 15 points and Jaylen Brown added 18. The Celtics continued where they left off before the break, winning nine of their last ten games. On Feb. 8, they won 126-91 in Brooklyn after jumping out to a 28-2 advantage.
This one didn’t come any closer. Boston never trailed, just as it didn’t that night when it led by as many as 29 points and won its sixth consecutive away game.
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Tatum hit four three-pointers and dunked over two defenders. There were a lot of people in green who had highlighted. Boston saw seven players score in double digits and shot 54%.
The Celtics’ solid run before the break propelled them to sixth place in the Eastern Conference, only two games behind third place.
The Nets, who slipped to 31-29, are in ninth place and may need a nice run simply to sneak into playoff position without having to go through the play-in round.
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Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Goran Dragic all sat on the bench, while Kyrie Irving was unable to enter the arena because he has not had the coronavirus vaccination required to play in New York City.
Coach Steve Nash said Durant (sprained left knee ligament) and freshly signed Dragic might be able to play in the next three games, but not Saturday when the Nets travel to Milwaukee. It’s unclear when Simmons, who didn’t play for the 76ers before being acquired by the Nets in a trade for James Harden at the trade deadline, will be ready.
Nash said that the Nets’ health is the “1, 2, 3 and 4” issue that has to be addressed, while swingman Bruce Brown dismissed any worries about their rankings.
For the Nets, Seth Curry had 22 points and Bruce Brown had 15, but they fell for the 13th time in 15 games.
Midway in the first quarter, the Celtics led 22-10. They lead 35-22 heading into the second quarter, a six-point gain for the Nets after they trailed 35-16 after one quarter in the last game on Feb. 8.
Derrick White’s three-point play made it 48-26 early in the second quarter, but the Nets cut it to 67-52 at the break. Tatum then scored 11 points in the third quarter to stretch the Celtics’ lead to 98-74.
