5 topics like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant leading the Nets over the Celtics

After resisting an offensive explosion by Kevin Durant, the Celtics lost by just three at the end of the third quarter of their Christmas game against the Brooklyn Nets.

Then Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart went to the bench, both scored with four fouls, and the game was completely out of control. The Nets beat Boston by 25 in the final 17 minutes, winning a 123-95 victory.

Here are five lessons from Boston’s second consecutive defeat at the hands of Brooklyn.

The Nets may be the best NBA team so far.

Don’t be fooled by the final score: the Celtics were much better on Friday than the week before, in the pre-season defeat. Boston took the lead in the interval reinforced by Jaylen Brown’s continued excellence, and the team’s attention to detail was significantly better.

Nets are really good and any small disappointment can turn into a big problem. On Friday, that disappointment started at the beginning of the third quarter, when Kevin Durant punished the Celtics for defending him with Tristan Thompson. Durant, who took just six shots in the first half, hit four baskets in a row in the third and helped in the fifth. The Boston defense tried to crack down, but at that point, the gifts were already open without a gift receipt. The Celtics pushed a few times, but Kyrie Irving slammed the door on its way to 37 points.

“We have to be precise in everything we do,” said Marcus Smart. “We have to perform to the best of our ability because that is what they are forcing you to do. They force you to have to be almost perfect and you have to respect that. “

The Nets have gunners who lift their roof and a strong support cast. A lot can happen over the course of a season, but Brooklyn seems ready to make some noise.

“They are very capable of dumping that,” said Brad Stevens. “I think it’s the deepest team in the NBA and … certainly in the conversation for the best. We know that we have a lot of work to do, that is very clear. And we know what we have to look for Good to know. “

Officials declared faults on the stamp screens that Jayson Tatum used extensively in the past year.

Twice in the first half, the referees whistled the big men in the Celtics for putting up fence screens – rolling into the rim out of the pick-and-roll and simply stopping when Tatum drove to the edge. Brad Stevens was livid and caught a coach defending a move that generated a lot of points for Boston last year.

“I take a lot of buckets out of Theis by putting screens and seals and stuff,” Tatum told reporters last year. “I always say thank you.”

The initial screen gives Tatum an advantage against his defender and, by stopping at the painting, the big rolling man prevents his own defender from helping. This opens up enough daylight for Tatum to cross to the edge. If fence screens are now illegal, the Celtics will need to find another way to buy some layups for Tatum.

“I really don’t understand that,” said Tatum. “Roll and close, I don’t think there’s much difference if they roll to get the ball. But I think the referees watched the tape and are emphasizing it, so we will have to adjust. “

Jaylen Brown was a bright spot again.

Brown looks like a completely different player than the elastic striker who entered the NBA to boos from Celtics fans who wanted Jimmy Butler. He worked on his shot and became a good 3-point shooter (although he had 0 out of 4 against Brooklyn). He worked on his fist and became a good scorer. Now, he seems to have found a way to improve his feeling too.

That feeling was shown in a few different ways in the first two games in Boston. Most notably, Brown is launching passes that he has never made before.

Jaylen Brown jumps out of pick and roll. That’s nice. Wow. pic.twitter.com/cLqWwETbGJ

– Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) December 25, 2020

Paint-to-corner passes are really important, especially for a player who is operating out of pick-and-roll more than ever. In many ways, Brown – who some smart basketball people suggested he should have been a strength striker two years ago – is operating as a main ball handler. He’s doing some of Brad Stevens’ favorite dribbling sets. It skirts screens and keeps defenders pinned to your back or hips. His percentage of shots dropped against Brooklyn after he missed a few shots trying to lead a Celtics rally in the home stretch, but Brown has been the best player in consecutive games for a team that desperately needs him to take a leap this season.

The Celtics’ midfield attack failed.

Against the Bucks, the Celtics’ ability to find a good attack outside of transition opportunities was crucial – Boston averaged 108.7 points per 100 possessions in half-court sets, according to Cleaning the Glass. On Friday, however, that number plummeted to 78.7.

The main missing piece, of course, is Kemba Walker. That will be the case until the beginning of January, at best, and at worst it could be a topic throughout the regular season, as the Celtics try to keep it healthy for the postseason. Walker can probe the defense and score on all three levels, which alleviates a lot of pressure on the other Boston stars when the team fails to get fast points in the attack.

But the Nets managed to limit Tatum – who has not yet taken a free throw in the regular season – to just 20 points from 22 shots, and apart from Brown and Smart, no other Celtic scored double digits. To make matters worse, Brooklyn beat Boston 17-7 on break-break points and 38-25 on bench points.

Still, a game is not an entire season, and Brown expressed confidence in the team’s offensive direction.

“I think the attack is taking good steps,” said Brown. “Obviously, I think we played good basketball for about three and a half quarters, but these guys put a lot of pressure on us with their ability to kick, and we have to keep going. We still have a lot of growth, a lot of learning ahead of us, but I’m looking forward to it. “

Payton Pritchard looked much more comfortable.

To end the holiday on a positive note, the Celtics played Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith. Of the newbies, Pritchard in particular looked comfortable. He hit a deep triple, went 3-to-5 off the ground and dug up a couple of steals. If Pritchard proves to be a reliable option, the Celtics bank looks more sustainable until Walker’s return.