Celtics Wrap: Boston Maintains Unbeaten Start With Win Over Nets

The Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 124-114, at Barclays Center on Saturday night.

With the victory, the Celtics improved to a still-perfect 5-0 while the Nets dropped to 3-3.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Boston didn't have an easy time in preserving its undefeated start.

The Nets, while not a presumed legitimate contender, were gritty and feisty enough to give the Celtics a run for their money. Brooklyn, right from the jump, leaned to its fast-paced, shot-chucking offense in an attempt to try and tire out the Celtics and challenge Boston's ability to keep up.

Well, that's what the C's did.

Jayson Tatum led the high-volume offense, scoring 32 points and reaching a new career milestone in the process. The 25-year-old became the youngest Celtics player ever to reach the 10,000-point mark, doing so with ease in the second quarter. The Celtics, meanwhile, recorded their third consecutive 70-plus-point first half.

JAYSON TATUM 10K ☘️

Jayson hits 10,000 career points, becoming the youngest Celtic in history to reach the milestone 💪@jaytatum0 pic.twitter.com/LFZKZPuAbb

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 5, 2023

Brooklyn hung around until the fourth quarter, and that's when Boston turned its NBA-best scoring offense up a notch. The Celtics outscored the Nets, 25-17 in the final seven minutes plus a combination of nifty playmaking and efficient defense pushed Boston -- without the services of guard Derrick White -- to the finish line.

Kristaps Porzingis delivered the closing blow, turning a missed Jaylen Brown 3-point attempt into a tip-in layup to give the Celtics a 117-105 lead in the fourth quarter with 1:40 minutes left to go. The Nets were down too deep, thus, keeping Boston in the win column for the fifth straight time.

No other team in the NBA is unbeaten.

STARS OF THE GAME
-- Tatum scored a game-leading 32 points alongside 11 rebounds to record his third double-double of the season. Boston's go-to man shot 10-of-20 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.

-- Brooklyn's Cam Thomas didn't back down throughout the night, taking the load of scoring and defensive responsibilities. Thomas scored a team-leading 27 points with five rebounds and three assists.

-- Jrue Holiday flirted with triple-double territory, scoring 18 points alongside nine rebounds and 10 assists, finishing a plus-14.

WAGER WATCH
FanDuel Sportsbook set the odds of Porzingis scoring the first basket of the game at +400. The 7-foot-3 veteran cleared those odds by draining an 11-foot mid-range jumper to break open the score after successfully securing possession with a tip off win over Brooklyn's Dorian Finney-Smith at center court. A $100 wager on Porzingis would've netted a $500 total payout.

UP NEXT
The Celtics will continue their three-game road trip and next face off against the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Monday night. Tip off from Target Center is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.