The Boston Celtics came into Barclays Center with a home-and-home sweep in mind, but they weren’t able to get the job done.
Brooklyn beat the Celtics 112-107 on Friday afternoon, just two days after the Nets fell at TD Garden on Thanksgiving Eve. Brooklyn controlled this one for the majority of the 48-minute outing, and Boston’s late fourth-quarter push came up just short.
Jayson Tatum (26), Kemba Walker (17), Marcus Smart (15) and Brad Wanamaker (11) all finished in double figures for Boston.Â
Spencer Dinwiddie led the way for Brooklyn with 32 points and 11 assists on 10-of-19 shooting.
The Celtics dropped to 13-5 with the loss, while the Nets moved to 10-9.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
PG:Â Kemba Walker
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Daniel Theis
SLUGGISH START
The Celtics got off to an ugly start, committing six turnovers in the game’s first nine minutes. A noon start often does this to teams, but Brooklyn seemed just fine out of the gate, knocking down five first-quarter 3-pointers.
Ball movement was a difference-maker early on, as the Nets had 10 assists on 13 made field goals to keep Boston on its heels. It was a relatively similar story to Game 1 of the home-and-home set, being that 3-pointers kept Brooklyn in the game Wednesday at TD Garden.
Boston pushed back, however, ending the opening frame on a 9-2 run to cut into the deficit, resulting in a 31-24 score after one.
Dinwiddie led all scorers with eight first-quarter points, while Walker led the C’s with seven points on 2-of-2 shooting.
BENCH SPARK
Tatum was at the heart of Boston’s turnover issues, and that continued early in the second. The third-year wing had four turnovers in roughly 10 minutes of action at Barclays Center.
The Celtics’ bench provided a nice spark to get them back into this one, going on a 14-5 run to bring Boston within two. Tatum then began to heat up from there, knocking down a couple 3’s to push his then-game-high to 12.
Brooklyn stretched its lead to 11 with two minutes left in the half, but a 10-2 Celtics run led by Tatum over the final 1:42 made it 58-55 Nets at the break.
Tatum’s 18 first-half points paced Boston’s offense, marking his second-highest point total in a half this season. He was 4-of-6 from deep.
The man is on ??@jaytatum0 has 18 points at the half. pic.twitter.com/plId18bDgl
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 29, 2019
Dinwiddie’s 13 points led the Nets after two. Brooklyn knocked down 11 3-pointers in the first 24 minutes Friday, trailing only Wednesday’s first-half total of 12 for its season-high.
C’s HANGING AROUND
Enes Kanter immediately hit the floor early in the third to help the C’s battle Jarrett Allen on the glass. He provided some much needed assistance in the category, particularly on the offensive glass.
But Brooklyn took advantage of a Smart technical foul to go on a quick 7-0 run, pushing its lead out to five at the 7:36 mark of the quarter.
Dinwiddie continued to slice up the Celtics’ defense, posting 27 points and 10 assists through his first 24 minutes. He initially was beating Boston off the dribble, so defenders in turn started cheating and going underneath screens to stay in front of his. It didn’t work, as Dinwiddie didn’t skip a beat and starting knocking down pull-up jumpers at a consistent rate. He was 5-of-7 from beyond the arc after three.
Robert Williams came off the bench alongside Wanamaker and sparked an 11-0 run to bring the Celtics within three. The Nets ultimately would take an 87-81 lead into the final frame, but Boston’s ability to hang around amid Walker’s struggles certainly was noteworthy.
NETS GET THE W
A couple quick 3-pointers from Garrett Temple pushed Brooklyn’s lead back to 10 with 9:43 left in regulation, which stumped a previously-solid defensive stint for Boston to begin the fourth.Â
The Nets didn’t cool off and took advantage of Kanter’s lack of defensive prowess, targeting him inside on multiple fourth-quarter possessions. Boston responded with some stout defense elsewhere once the Turkish big man was removed, helping the visitors to stay within striking distance.
The Celtics cut the lead to four with just under one minute left, but it was too little too late. Sloppy play was Boston’s downfall, as a season-high 19 turnovers prevented it from coming all the way back.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Strong finish from Smart.Â
through contact ?? pic.twitter.com/jB6C7rDvcD
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 29, 2019
UP NEXT
The Celtics will spend their off-day in the Big Apple before taking on the New York Knicks on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.
