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Rapid Reaction: Nets 114, Celtics 98

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

Rapid reaction after the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Boston Celtics 114-98 on Friday night at the Barclays Center:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Joe Johnson scored 16 of his team-high 27 points in the third quarter and the Nets generated a ridiculous 63 points in the paint overall (compared to 30 for Boston) en route to a lopsided victory. Mason Plumlee dominated around the basket, putting up 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting (almost all of which was easy dunks). Old friend Paul Pierce added 14 points as the Nets put five players in double figures while shooting 56.4 percent for the game (that number was above 60 percent for most of the night). Avery Bradley matched his career high by scoring 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting (4 of 9 beyond the 3-point arc). Jeff Green added 16 points, but was a game-worst minus-22 in plus/minus. Rajon Rondo registered 12 points, 12 assists, and 4 rebounds, but was minus-18.

TURNING POINT
Bradley's hot hand helped the Celtics hang around until late in the second quarter when things started to get out of hand. Johnson and Deron Williams hit 3-pointers in the final 64 seconds of the first half as the Nets got their lead up to double figures (64-54) at the intermission. Pierce added a triple on the first possession of the second half and, as Johnson got hot in the third quarter, Brooklyn's lead only once fell from below double digits (and went as high as 18 in the final minute of the third frame).

BRADLEY BOUNCES BACK
Bradley left the game early in the first quarter after landing awkwardly after a 3-pointer. It didn't look good, especially given the right ankle trouble he's endured this season, but Bradley simply got re-taped and returned before the end of the frame. He then made all eight shots he took while putting up 18 points in the second quarter. He cooled in the second half, making just 2-of-6 attempts for five points.

RONDO'S DUNK ATTEMPT
Rondo doesn't have a dunk to his credit since returning from ACL surgery in mid-January, but he tried to get his first over Pierce while attacking the rim late in the first half. He missed the attempt while being fouled and both he and Pierce were smiling afterwards.

LOOSE BALLS
Kelly Olynyk had a forgettable night. Not only did he miss four of his five shot attempts, but he struggled defensively. Olynyk fouled out with eight minutes to play in the game in just 16 minutes of floor time. ... Olynyk was replaced by Joel Anthony, who had a nice block to start his shift, some of the only defense Boston played all game. Anthony played the final eight minutes. ... Jerryd Bayless had one of the more hilarious turnovers of the season when he airmailed a cross-court pass that nearly sailed both rows of the Boston bench. ... Jared Sullinger's first field goal of the game came with little more than two minutes to play.

WHAT IT MEANS
The good news for the Celtics: Boston (23-47) will now enjoy a four-day break before returning to game action on Wednesday with a visit from the Toronto Raptors. It's a week of home-and-homes as the Celtics visit Toronto two days later before a back-to-back set with the Chicago Bulls starting Sunday in Boston.
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Actually, the Celtics have a six-day layoff; only Avery Bradley and (perhaps) Rajon Rondo didn't get the word, so those two have only four days off.

Here's my analysis of this game.  Sixty-two points in the paint for the Nets.  That's it.  I can't wait to see Bob Heckler try to dredge up something to say about every Celtic who played without needing to see a shrink in the middle of his post.

Harking back to practicing for my college SAT's, I'd say the Celtics plunged from the apex to the nadir of the season in just one game.

Sam

Sorry to disappoint you, Sam, but I just don't think I can do it this time.

Pathetic, truly pathetic.  Our pick-and-roll defense was complete s--t and, as Tommy said, "our weak side defense was weak".  That might be the first time I've ever heard Tommy Heinsohn understate something.  It was horrible.  Kelly fouled out.  The reasons were mostly because he was picking up other people's men off of picks.  Nobody fought through picks.  When Kelly cheated over to help out on a pick and his man, often Mason Plumlee, rolled to the basket nobody rotated over to pick him up through the lane.

What does it say when the best I can say, with the exception of Bradley, about a Celtic player is that the reason why he looked so bad is because of his teammates' failures?

Bradley went off like nobody's business.  He had 5 in the first quarter, 18 in the 2nd quarter but only 8 in the 2nd half.  The second Bradley touched the ball in the 2nd half he got swarmed and his teammates didn't take advantage of their defensive over-commitment.  No flow, no energy, no ganas.

Brains-Were-Not-Us last night.  Nobody was thinking.  Bradley went unconscious and scored like a machine.  Great.  Unfortunately, most basketball requires cognitive engagement and everybody in green left their brains packed in formaldehyde back in Boston.

They beat Miami, even without LBJ, and then get blowtorched by Mason Plumlee?

Chris Babb came off the bench cold and hit a 3.  Ok, there ya go, Sam, I did it.


bob


.

Nicely done, Bob.  They were definitely a sow's ear last night.

Sam

I hope we can lock up Avery Bradley, hes our best offensive player right now and who would have thought that was possible at the beginning of the year? you could even say hes been our best shooter since the end of the second month of the season. Hes gonna get better and better offensively as he already surpassed another former defensive stopper we had that never has gotten his offensive game together, but is a vital cog on his team, Tony Allen.

I watched and was most surprised that the Celtics did not make any defensive adjustments at halftime.

It was a most horrible example of not playing any defense.

Some other observations.  

The worst thing about Sully is that if he makes a 3 point shot he thinks he is Larry Bird.  His season 3 Pt. percentage is hovering around 24%.  Every time he launches one up it further weakens our ability to rebound the basketball.  Sully has not been playing well this month and he just looks like he has been frequenting some all you can eat venues.

KO has shown a lot of improvement mostly on offense.  His defense still sucks.  

Jeff Green is not a consistent offensive player and there is no sense in lamenting over that reality but come on Jeff,  be a better rebounder and defender.

Right now there are only 2 players on this team that are definite keepers.  RR and AB and if the Celtics were willing to resign hump at the right price that will make 3.

Our two young forwards, Sully and Kelly are just plan horrible on defense.  Part of the problem is that both have physical limitations that will never improve.  Ya think we are all set at the PF spot with these two?  

I have been fooling myself into believing that if we can just get a rim protector everything will turn around.  However there are 3 starting spots on this team that could use an upgrade.

This will be a long term project.

dboss

Dboss, I feel your pain.  However, I continue to believe that a rim protector will not simply help help keep opponents' scores down.  His presence will also change what is being expected of Sully and Kelly on defense.  Their defensive weaknesses are most exposed when they have to masquerade as rim protectors, which is often the case by default.  I mentioned that about Kelly on last night's Game-on Thread, and the same is frequently true of Sully.

I keep waiting for Sully to push opposing centers away from the hoop, and it doesn't happen.  I'm not foolish enough to wait for Kelly to use his height to better advantage against opposing centers, because—against height, he's strictly a reach-in defender.  But I do believe that, against a steady diet of opposing power forwards, their physical deficiencies will be less problematic, and they're both smart enough to adapt their respective strengths more successfully at the power forward position.  Moreover, last night, Kelly looked particularly bad on a number of plays when he had to switch to fill the defensive gap against a teammate's man, and Kelly's defensive center  simply rolled to the hoop because no one rotated when Kelly switched.  Bayless was the culprit on numerous occasions.

I agree about Sully's need to drop poundage.  It seems that something is missing from the energetic tiger he was for most of the season.  The strength of his game is at least 75% effort, and I just don't see that much effort from him lately.  Perhaps the weight has finally gotten the better of him; but, settling for the three-ball rather than imposing his will on opponents suggests that his mental resolve has waned as well.

It's so important to put young players in positions where they have at least a shot at succeeding.  I believe this cannot happen with Sully and Kelly until they no longer are forced into being the defensive catalyst among the bigs.

One thing that has me mystified is how they can circle the wagons and play such a tenacious game against the Heat only to look so listless against the Nets.  I hate to say this, but it's possible that they're being selective in their energy output because they just do not have the sustained motivation to put out to the max every night.

Finally, isn't it amazing how most of our early season posts about Humphries involved salivating about what a great trade asset his bloated contract was?  Now, I count myself among those who have grown to admire his consistency in being able to put out to the max on defense against opposing bigs and in shaking himself loose for trademark jumper after jumper.  He obviously has physical limitations, but he's one of the hardest triers (if not THE hardest trier) on the team.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, I bet his performance this season will attract some suitors this off-season who will pay more than the Celtics will for Humph's continued service.  I could envision him as the kind of dedicated pro who could be a valuable backup at both center and power forward for at least a couple of years on a rebuilding team.

Sam

Sam

I guess I needed to blow off some steam.

The reality is that without a rim protector the defensive schemes will be limited.

I was watching one game and had to laugh to myself.  One of the guys filtered an opponent towards the baseline towards the hoop.  Unfortunately there was no KG rotating over and the opponent just walked in for an easy layup.

It certainly is not a good option to have either Sully or KO responsible for securing the interior defense.  

Kris Humphries has probably been the most consistent player on the team all year at both ends of the court.  I was somewhat surprised that no trade was made because some of the playoff teams could have used his F/C skills and his expiring contract would limit any long term financial obligation.  And for all we know offers were made for his services.  Ainge was not looking to add any long term contracts and appears ready to clear the $12 million off the books.

They might decide to bring him back particularly if we are not able to draft a center or make a trade for one.

I think their number 1 priority is to resign AB but before that happens their two first rounders come into play.  

We could really use a little luck this time around.

dboss

You've got that right, dboss.  Some good luck not only with their draft picks but also with their other personnel decisions.  They've got a lot of balls bouncing around in the air; and I just hope none of them is loaded with TNT.

Sam