The Boston Celtics won Game 1 of the first round series against the Brooklyn Nets 115-114. In an incredible crime thriller, a Jayson Tatum layup makes all the difference at the end.
More is not possible! Game 1 of the long-awaited series ended with a game winner at the last second, after it had been going back and forth at a high level for over 48 minutes. A total of 18 lead changes were recorded, the last one being the outstanding Tatum (31 points, 8 assists) after a pass from Marcus Smart (20, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), who was also very strong.
Boston seemed to be slipping the game just before, but the hosts revolted again, with Jaylen Brown (23 points) and Al Horford (20, 15 rebounds) also playing a major role. Above all, they had to resist the show of Kyrie Irving.
The ex-Celtic was particularly motivated against his ex-team, arguing with the supporters in Boston on several occasions and almost ruining their day. Irving (12/20 FG) scored 39 points and was clearly the best player among the guests. Kevin Durant had 23 points, with Goran Dragic (14) and Nic Claxton (13) providing support from the bench.
NBA Playoffs: First Half Foul Festival
Boston had to do without Robert Williams (torn meniscus), who was replaced by Daniel Theis (4 points, 6 rebounds) in the starting five. As usual, the Nets were missing Ben Simmons and Joe Harris. Bruce Brown, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond flanked the two superstars in the opening lineup.
The game started a little wild, eight fouls were called in the first four and a half minutes, including two against Theis, who had to go to the bench early on. Intensity and speed were very high, Boston forced a lot of turnovers at the beginning, but had problems even in the half-field and couldn’t break away. With 29:28 for Boston the second round started.
Both sides got better offensively afterwards. On the Nets side, Irving started to turn up and scored 9 points in a row, Tatum directed the action on the other side as scorer and playmaker. Durant, on the other hand, wasn’t even in the game yet, but Dragic brought relief with a jumper and and-1 layup. Before the break, Kyrie Mills served spectacularly for a corner threeSmart countered – 61:61 after a wild first half.
Kyrie Irving gives Celtics fans the middle finger
Boston started better, thanks in large part to Smart, who intercepted a Kyrie throw-in and tucked it in the basket, followed shortly afterwards by a three – a 9-0 run gave the Celtics their biggest lead. Durant now had a few shots, but Boston really flowed for the first time, increasing the lead to 15 points when Tatum threw away free throws to loud MVP shouts.
But Brooklyn didn’t give up, Dragic helped again, and Irving sank the next heavy throw over Brown after he also gave the fans in the stands the middle finger. But Boston had the answer. Jaylen Brown unpacked an incredible chasedown block against his namesake Bruce and scored at the other end, Tatum blocked a Durant jumper and followed up with a three. 96:85 Boston before the final quarter.
Irving didn’t have enough, after a personal 8:0 run, both teams were only separated by 1 point, shortly afterwards KD put his team back in the lead. Now Boston suddenly seemed completely hasty in the end. The quarter lasted almost six minutes until Brown scored Boston’s first field goal via dunk. The Celtics had life again, it went back and forth, a minute before the end Horford equalized again with a putback.
And then complete chaos erupted. Irving hit the next three, Brown hit for two, Durant missed. 14 seconds remained for the Celtics, who played the clock perfectly and actually went off the field as the winner with a layup after Tatum’s pirouette at the very last second. What a game!
The most important statistics
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Brooklyn Nets (7) 115:114 (BOXSCORE), Serie: 1-0
- 18 personal fouls were called in the first quarter – per ESPN Stats & Info That was a high for a first quarter this season. The defensive intensity contributed to this, but many whistles also seemed petty. Twelve more fouls followed in the second quarter, in the end there were 50 – so the free throws also played a big role. Both teams ended up exactly at 19/24.
- Both teams switched almost everything and seemed well prepared for their opponent’s strengths. Boston forced 16 nets turnovers, 7 of them in the first quarter alone, but the Cs also gave the ball 14 times themselves. Since the Celtics had a big advantage in the rebound (54:39), they still took a whopping eleven more throws than the guests.
- The fact that they still did not lead at the break was partly due to their own deficits in the half-court offense. The Celtics missed good chances throughout the game. At the other end, for once, all the nets except Durant were on fire: 18/27 was the tally of non-KD field goals in the first half… and KD was at 2/10. It probably didn’t exist yet. The bench duel was also dominated by the Nets (30:17).
- In general, the Nets hit much better from the field (54 percent to 47), but they also had fewer throws. And a very large proportion of them were (difficult) jumpers – in terms of points in the zone, Boston again had a huge advantage (56:32).
The star of the game: Jayson Tatum
Four of the five Celtics starters could appear here, Tatum delivered the decisive play and thus gets the contract. Shined as a playmaker in the first half, as a scorer in the third quarter and as a defender throughout the game. Of course, Irving must also be mentioned here, even if he will receive a hefty fine for his middle finger action.
The flop of the game: Kevin Durant
Of course, KD wasn’t the Nets’ weakest player. But the fact is: These kidnap the victory if KD plays even remotely normal. 9/24 FG are moderate, 6 turnovers too – rarely has Durant been seen in an important game with so little impact. Standing at -13 in a 1 point loss!
The scene of the game
There were a number of candidates but the answer must be the final action. Note that Smart, who has been criticized for years for his shot choices, isn’t forcing a shot here with just 3.5 seconds left on the clock, but instead has an eye for the open man.
Celtics vs Nets: The Series at a Glance (1-0)
| Spiel | Datum | time | Heim | away | result |
| 1 | 17. April | 9:30 p.m | Boston Celtics | Brooklyn Nets | 115:114 |
| 2 | 21. April | 1 O ‘clock | Boston Celtics | Brooklyn Nets | – |
| 3 | 24. April | 1:30 | Brooklyn Nets | Boston Celtics | – |
| 4 | 26. April | TBD | Brooklyn Nets | Boston Celtics | – |
| 5* | 28. April | TBD | Boston Celtics | Brooklyn Nets | – |
| 6* | 30. April | TBD | Brooklyn Nets | Boston Celtics | – |
| 7* | 1st May | TBD | Boston Celtics | Brooklyn Nets | – |
*if necessary