The Celtics lost the Brooklyn Nets Friday afternoon 112-107. It was an ugly game all around for the Celtics. They played sloppy basketball and the refs didn’t do them any favors. If you were looking for a great basketball game, this wasn’t it. The Celtics had a lot of turnovers (19) for the game, and shot 44% from the field.
The Celtics lacked a go to scorer this game. Jayson Tatum looked like it would be him in the first half as he scored 18 points. He went on to finish the game with a team high 26. The offense should have been flowing through him to feed the hot hand, but that never happened. He had to force his shots up a little in the second half.
The Nets were scorching hot, getting double digit points from all their starters. Spencer Dinwiddie was the player of the game with 32 points and 11 assists. With Kyrie Irving still out, Dinwiddie has been playing like an all star.
On a cold shooting night all around, Kemba Walker was the coldest one. He scored 17 points but most came in the fourth quarter. He shot 6-19 for the game and just 1-8 from three point range. Games like this are where it is nice to have Gordon Hayward who is still out with a hand injury.
Marcus Smarts shooting was not a big help as he went 4-13 from the field. He was also in foul trouble which caused his defensive prowess to be neutralized. He had to play a little softer than usual.
Bench scoring has been an issue since Hayward was taken out of the lineup. Brad Wanamaker has been the one consistent bench guy. He scored 11 points to go along with 8 rebounds. His minutes have been great for the team, especially when Kemba is having an off night.
The three point shooting was ultimately what decided this game. The Nets were hot, hitting 17 threes compared to the C’s 9. In the modern NBA teams live and die by the three point shot. The C’s just so happened to die by it on Friday.
The Celtics look to bounce back with a win against the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon. The Knicks are a team the Celtics have beaten and know they can beat. They’ll look for a bounce back game to get back in the win column.
