Nets Fall Into 3-0 Series Hole: Losing To Celtics, 109-103
The Brooklyn Nets are formally one loss farfar from an offseason that’s in all likelihood to be full of lots of housekeeping. But withinside the meantime, it’s all approximately head-shaking, eye-rolling and thinking the way it got here to this.
The Nets have been defeated via way of means of the Boston Celtics, 109-103, at Barclays Center Saturday night. With the defeat, Brooklyn’s season seems to be nearing its stop except the crew pulls off what no different crew in NBA records has done: win 4 immediately video games after 3 immediately losses.
“We recognise what it is. I don’t suppose no speech or some thing it’ll do,” stated Kevin Durant at the message to the crew after falling down three-zero. “At this a part of the year, you realize what it is. We’re down three-zero. We were given any other recreation Monday. Just pop out and play.”
This one become in a number of approaches a carbon replica of the 2 in advance losses.
Boston led from the three:fifty eight mark of the primary and didn’t appearance lower back.
Brooklyn got here as near as 3 factors with simply over a minute left withinside the 1/3 however the Celtics responded and capitalized in a fourth area that sooner or later determined the Nets' season.
Jayson Tatum, who completed with 39 factors (thirteen-of-29 taking pictures from the sphere and 4-of-thirteen taking pictures from three-factor range) outscored each of Brooklyn’s superstars ... blended.
“I suppose it’s a piece of everything. Clearly, they’re loading up on him, sending our bodies to him, being bodily with him,” stated Steve Nash on Kevin Durant’s ongoing struggles withinside the first-spherical collection. “As a crew, we shot 50 percentage today. It’s the unforced turnovers. I don’t suppose Kevin has to move off. We shot an excellent percentage.
We moved the ball. It’s those we gave up. Poor decision-making, now no longer connecting easy passes which can be going the alternative manner. That, to me, has been the distinction in all 3 video games.”
Durant, all over again, struggled and concluded with sixteen factors (6-of-eleven taking pictures standard and 2-of-three taking pictures from at the back of the arc) to pair with 8 boards, 8 assists, and a crew-excessive 5 turnovers in forty six mins.
“I felt just like the first video games, I become seeking to be too competitive. Team is loaded up on me and is attempting to take me out all my actions, I felt like I become seeking to nonetheless pressure it the primary video games,” stated Durant. “So I’m looking movie however my teammates have been open, they have been pulling down shots.”
Durant persisted, explaining that he felt he become “overthinking matters” as opposed to Boston withinside the entire collection.
“So I felt my technique to his recreation become to play off everybody, play withinside the glide of the offense, and permit the ball pass and locate me and that’s simply how I completed I suggest I become feeling I become making strong reads,” stated Durant.
“I felt like we had an excellent glide—in all likelihood need to have took extra shots—however I simply attempted to play the sport the proper manner with out being too competitive or forcing turnovers, and I didn’t need to get no live-ball one’s gambling one on one out on the top. I’m simply wondering too plenty, to be honest, this entire collection.”
Durant, who at the side of Kyrie Irving positioned up the maximum mins withinside the NBA after the All-Star Break, disregarded the opportunity of fatigue.
“I don’t suppose fatigue set in. I experience precise gambling. I’m now no longer winded. My frame doesn’t harm. I wouldn’t blame it on that,” stated Durant
Irving had any other quiet time out with sixteen factors, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, a block, and turnovers in his 43-minute showing.
“You may want to positioned it on me in phrases of gambling better, controlling the sport better, controlling our possessions, being extra in a stance, now no longer turning the ball over as plenty,” stated Kyrie Irving approximately his performance. “I had five fouls tonight, so that you can positioned it on me extra of simply doing extra and keeping men accountable, identical manner I’m held accountable.”
Bruce Brown become stellar all over again for Brooklyn and manned a heavy scoring load with the superstars getting stifled. Brooklyn’s personal “Swiss Army Knife” introduced a crew-excessive and private playoff excessive 26 factors on 10-of-19 taking pictures from the sphere and 2-of-7 taking pictures from past the arc in forty mins. Brown additionally had 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and steals to go along with 5 turnovers.
Blake Griffin performed in his first recreation in view that April 2, giving Brooklyn a boost to preserve slivers of wish alive overdue in the sport. The veteran tallied 8 factors, a rebound, and numerous hustle performs in his 8 mins of motion off the bench.
“I idea he performed his ass off. He certainly hustled and worked, made multiple threes, and gave us a boost,” stated Nash on Griffin’s effect in Game three. “We wished a boost, a few energy, a few life, and a bit little bit of belief.”
In Steve Nash’s eyes, it’s the unforced turnovers which have fee Brooklyn the beyond 3 video games towards the Celtics, and Game three become but any other byproduct of that. The Nets grew to become over the ball a complete of 21 instances and the Celtics flipped them into 37 factors. Outside of turnovers, Brooklyn shot 50.6 percentage from the sphere and nearly edged Boston at the boards (34-33) and factors withinside the paint (50-42). The Celtics flattened the Nets in fast-damage factors via way of means of a heavy margin of 25-9 — a catalyst to the 21 turnovers.
“I suppose unforced turnovers harm us in all 3 video games. Uncharacteristically gave up them the ball. I suppose that’ll be the No. 1 thing,” stated Nash at the careless turnovers throughout the collection.
Although KD and Irving disregarded fatigue — and Irving’s fasting at Ramadan — as an issue, Nash referred to each prominently in his post-recreation assessment.
“Kyrie’s fasting, and Kevin has needed to play forty-plus mins for 5, six weeks after lacking six, seven weeks,” Nash stated. “We wished him to play forty mins (according to night) or we wouldn’t be withinside the playoffs ... So, I’m positive that’s taken a large toll on Kevin. He’s carried a large burden for us for weeks on stop — Kyrie as nicely in view that he’s been gambling at domestic and at the road.”
“Fasting, it can’t be easy,” Nash stated. “I move play tennis and I haven’t eaten, I experience like I’m gonna fall over, so I can believe how he feels in an NBA playoff recreation.”
Ramadan ends subsequent Sunday.
The Nets commenced Irving, Durant, Brown, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond towards the Celtics to tipoff Game three. Brooklyn’s offense become sparked via way of means of their protection withinside the commencing mins, leaping out to a 12-five lead at the back of the play of Brown (seven factors) and the off-ball Durant (3 factors) on the 7:fifty two mark.
Out of the Nets timeout, the Celtics were given extra competitive attending to the rim, forcing their manner to the foul line, and kicking out to their perimeter shooters outdoor the arc. After a couple of triples via way of means of Jayson Tatum and a thunderous slam via way of means of Daniel Theis, Boston manned a 15-14 lead with 6:03 left.
Brooklyn’s protection held sturdy towards Boston till the Celtics have been mismatch looking for their star. Tatum were given going early with a couple of three-hints and midrange turnaround jumpers to guide all scorers after one area of play with 12 factors. Brown led the Nets with 10 factors whilst Irving and Durant blended for thirteen of Brooklyn’s 25 factors. After one, the Celtics held a 30-25 lead.
The 2d area opened with a chaotic set from Brooklyn that led to Irving taking a deep three-Pointer and a shot clock violation. Payton Prichard were given the offense going for Boston early, scoring 10 factors in 8 mins off the bench to spark a small 4-zero burst via way of means of Boston to develop the deficit to 9 with 9:fifty four left.
Brown persisted to feature coverage to the Nets' stagnant offense, turning in a primary half-excessive sixteen factors withinside the first half, however there wasn’t plenty assist outdoor of him till Claxton were given taking place low. Brooklyn’s rally, at the back of the play of Brown and Claxton (10 factors), trimmed Boston’s lead right all the way down to 5 factors with three:03 left. The Celtics’ turnovers (seven turnovers into thirteen factors) and shortage of rebounding (18-15 Net edge) withinside the very last stretch of the second one area fueled the Nets overdue area comeback, pulling inside 3 factors (53-50) at halftime.
“Nobody is even remotely satisfied or content. We’re all frustrated. The men which have performed withinside the playoffs in a long term recognise that the collection is some distance from over,” Griffin stated. “We have one extra recreation at domestic. We want to do an excellent process of popping out equipped to play from the beginning. With groups like this, you need to prepare a complete forty eight together. It can’t be forty. It can’t be 44. It must be a complete forty-eight.”
It become an unsightly begin to the 1/3 for Brooklyn, who got here out of halftime outmatched via way of means of Boston’s hustle and energy. Curry become whistled for an offensive foul on the outlet ownership and a turnover observed the following time down the courtroom docket, which sparked a 7-zero run via way of means of Boston. The careless play left Nash calling a timeout best fifty nine seconds into the area.
Brooklyn struggled to capitalize no matter the Celtics arising with empty possessions. Drummond picked up fouls and coughed up turnovers and Durant persisted to battle to get space. Careless turnovers stunted the Nets and saved the Celtics withinside the driver's seat halfway via the period.
Brooklyn eventually were given matters grew to become round withinside the very last mins of the 1/3. The Nets cast a 7-zero run to get inside 4 factors. In that span, Griffin checked in for his first mins in view that April 2. After getting inside 4, luxurious Nets turnovers lifted the Celtics' lead lower back as much as 9 (81-72) to finish the 1/3.
In the very last area that could in the long run determine Brooklyn’s season, Griffin left all of it out at the courtroom docket for the Nets. The veteran nailed lower back-to-lower back threes blended with precious hustle performs to deliver the Nets inside 4 factors. The Celtics responded with in their personal triples from their stars, Tatum and Brown, to increase the leaf to 9 (93-84) with 6:29 left.
At the five:35 mark of the fourth, Ime Udoka used his coach's assignment with hopes of erasing Tatum’s fourth foul. The ruling become deemed unsuccessful, sending Durant to the road and he hit large unfastened throws to deliver the deficit to ten factors. Griffin looked at of the sport with 8 factors in 8 mins for Claxton after the primary unfastened throw.
Brooklyn hit the very last minute of play trailing via way of means of six factors after a Mills three-pointer. The Nets were given a forestall and on the alternative stop of the floor, Brown were given himself to the road however cut up the trip. Tatum iced the Celtics’ win with a couple of unfastened throws and a transition dunk to ship Brooklyn in a three-zero hole.
“Just person. It’s approximately our person now,” stated Nash at the near-not possible quest of coming go into reverse three-zero. “It’s approximately digging deep, having pride, and locating a manner over the following forty eight hours to return back lower back equipped to play on Monday night.”
Kyrie Irving thinks Blake Griffin merits extra time
Post-recreation, Kyrie Irving become requested approximately Blake Griffin’s performance. Irving praised Griffin and advised that he desires to get extra time. As one Boston write positioned it...
The Film Room
Boston didn’t have a mainly fantastic recreation. The Celtics shot simply 30.eight percentage from 3 to the Nets’ 41.1 percentage. They additionally grew to become the ball over 14 instances and didn’t pretty have the identical degree of depth on protection that that they'd in advance withinside the collection.
Yet, they gained at the road. Convincingly. How?
Brooklyn shot themselves withinside the foot time and again in Game three—a fashion that dated lower back all of the manner to Game 1’s botched inbounds play. Brooklyn coughed up the 18 instances, main to the Celtics taking 7 extra shots. Goran Dragic bobbled a fundamental byskip withinside the first half. A few gamers later, Andre Drummond attempted to make a flowery tip byskip to the nook that become effortlessly intercepted in place of taking the open layup.
Brooklyn become simply careless with the basketball all over again, sincerely positioned. For each run the Nets went on, they’d back down after coughing up the rock like Bruce Brown does underneath with this silly byskip. It didn’t assist that the Celtics appeared to have a solution for each Brooklyn run, by no means acting as though they have been concerned that the sport could get out in their control.
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