Celtics Wrap: Boston Shows Off Defensive Chops Vs. Talented Nets

The Boston Celtics got back into the win column Sunday night, defeating the Brooklyn Nets, 103-92, at TD Garden.

The Celtics improved to 19-5 on the year, while the Nets dropped to 13-12.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
It doesn’t seem as though the Celtics can ever truly run away from a fully healthy Nets squad. In its last four games, Boston is undefeated against Brooklyn but has won those games by a total of 18 points. What do you expect when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are on the other side?

Sunday presented more of the same between these two squads, as the Celtics held a consistent lead throughout the contest but struggled to run away from one of the NBA’s greatest scorers ever, and a player who can instantly flip the score at any moment — until the final three minutes of the game. A 13-point third quarter — their lowest point total of any quarter this season — was a bad look for the Celtics’ No. 1 offense, but only allowed the Nets to cut the lead to six.

Brooklyn’s severe disadvantage when it comes to depth showed up from there, as Boston’s bench outscored its counterpart, 24-15. That allowed the Celtics starters to get a much-needed rest before coming on to put things away late in the fourth.

There aren’t many teams that can match the Celtics’ level of high-end talent like the Nets can. Unfortunately for Brooklyn, the talent gap stretching beyond that is immense.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Jaylen Brown exploded to open the game with 20 first-quarter points. He finished with 34 on the night, adding 10 rebounds, two steals and four blocks.

— Jayson Tatum gets his numbers, whether you realize it or not. The MVP candidate finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and four steals.

— Durant kept Brooklyn in this game, stuffing the stat sheet in just about every way possible. He finished with 31 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.

WAGER WATCH
DraftKings Sportsbook set Brown’s total Points-Rebounds-Assists at 35.5, giving him -115 odds of surpassing the number. He did so fairly easily. A $100 bet would have netted a total payout of $186.96.

UP NEXT
The Celtics have a quick turnaround, heading to Toronto to face the Raptors on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.