Celtics blow 28-point lead in 115-105 meltdown to Nets

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum missed all eight three-pointers he took. Jaylen Brown botched 5 photographs across the rim and watched seven leap photographs bounce away. Seth Curry bothered Tatum on the ball. 4 offensive rebounds bounced across the rim as the gang clamored for somebody to seize the ball. Mike Muscala lastly did, however the Celtics trailed by seven factors and missed their probability to cease their worst collapse of the season.

No person stopped Mikal Bridges as he shot 13-for-22 and 19 Celtics turnovers powered a 28 43-point Brooklyn swing, coming again down by 28 early within the second quarter to attain a 115-105 win in Boston. The Celtics, who earlier within the day scratched Malcolm Brogdon with ankle ache, misplaced Robert Williams III to a hamstring harm proper because the Nets claimed a lead.

Offense got here simply to the Celtics because the Nets struggled, and sometimes refused to protect dribble penetration. Good and Brown scored on transition breaks, Cam Johnson fouled thrice in lower than three minutes and a 2-for-14 Nets begin aided Boston’s tempo. Looseness confirmed early via the up-and-down play, Tatum turning the ball over and Brown tossing an alley-oop to Robert Williams III off glass and getting bailed out by a foul.

The Celtics took a double-digit lead early adopted an Al Horford’s three, following the staff’s acknowledgement of his 1,000th profession recreation. Brown threw down a breakout dunk and hit a spot-up three to take a 21-5 lead, then Derrick White closed out the quarter with eight factors in six minutes to go forward 37-15.

The collapse began with pull-up threes, aided by turnovers. Tatum missed a pair of jumpers, Brown hit a 3 and stored driving, hitting a layup previous Johnson to extend Boston’s benefit to 51-23 at its peak. Joe Mazzulla tried to cease the slippage, one other Tatum miss, a Good leap shot didn’t fall and Grant Williams turned the ball over into the again court docket showing after his DNP-CD on Wednesday. A flood of Celtics timeouts did little to cease the bleeding, or Mikal Bridges, who hit a pair of photographs inside to spark the comeback.

Dorian Finney-Smith began with a pair of threes and the lead dipped to 19 simply over 4 minutes. Good tried to tempo the lead with a layup and alley-oop to Williams III, however Royce O’Neale and Seth Curry checked in to pour in three consecutive photographs following a Bridges three. The Nets’ deficit fell to 11. Then, Brooklyn stole six straight factors within the ultimate minute.

Boston led by 9 coming into the second half and shot 8-for-20 within the third quarter. The Nets’ run reached 47-19 after Bridges and Finney-Smith added extra threes. Brooklyn outscore the Celtics by 32 factors over 14 minutes round halftime, and after lacking a pair of free throws and fouling Johnson inside, Williams III darted to the locker room with left hamstring tightness and didn’t return. Performs later, Luke Kornet tossed a cross out-of-bounds with a degree clean look and didn’t choose up Bridges crashing the offense glass. Boos ensued.

Johnson’s free throws secured the lead, Bridges pushed it to eight factors and Patty Mills danced alongside the opposing sideline after Finney-Smith capped a 9-for-18 begin to the third. A barrage of Brooklyn offensive rebounds ended the body, Mazzulla changing Tatum with Payton Pritchard and a Brown-led bench unit on the lookout for a spark, however the star’s aggressive drives obtained swallowed up within the paint time and again.

Bridges reached 38 factors within the fourth quarter on a trio of leap photographs that expanded Brooklyn’s result in double-digits. White tried to toss a one-handed cross to his left and a Good-led rally inside single digits, briefly, solely intrigued the gang momentarily. Horford missed a layup on the rim, Dinwiddie scored within the different course and the Nets despatched an upset Friday crowd to exits — as angered as they’ve been since this scene performed out often final winter.

The Celtics shut the house stand towards the Knicks at 7:30 EST on Sunday.