The Celtics played a solid game through three quarters, but were once again unable to close it out in the fourth as they fell to the Nets 109-107 at home Friday night. Five Celtics scored in double figures, led by Jeff Green with 22. The Celtics could not contain Jarrett Jack off the pick and roll as he went off for 27 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists including a couple of clutch 4th quarter shots.
The Celtics put together a much more complete offensive performance than they did in either game in Florida, totaling 32 assists on 45 field goals. The difference today was once again at the foul line, where the Celtics only attempted 11 shots compared to Brooklyn’s 28, including a perfect 10/10 from Jack.
Green started the game off hot, scoring 12 points in the 1st quarter, but Jack responded with 9 of his own. A back and forth first half eventually led to a tie game at the half, 56-56. The Cs scored 30 paint points in the 1st half, but allowed Brooklyn to score 28.
The Celtics played a strong third quarter, forcing 7 Brooklyn turnovers that led to 10 points. Marcus Smart had 3 steals in the 3rd that led to some easy Celtics baskets. The Cs were able to extend their lead all the way up to 12 before Brooklyn cut it to 7 heading into the final quarter.
The Nets chipped away at the lead in the 4th, as the Celtics were unable to come up with the big stop they needed to maintain their lead. Most of the damage was done with the starters on the bench, as the Nets cut it to 2 before Bradley, Smart, Green and Sullinger checked back in with about 6 minutes to go.
After Sullinger missed a jump hook that would have given the Celtics the lead, Jack came done and hit from 13 feet. A missed layup by Evan Turner seemingly sealed the game as Jack tacked on two free throws to put his team up 4, but after an Avery Bradley three and a missed free throw by Joe Johnson, the Celtics were down only 2 with 1.5 seconds to go. Gerald Wallace’s long inbound pass made its way perfectly to Jared Sullinger, whose baseline jumper just missed.
The Green
- 32 assists on 45 field goals: the Celtics moved the ball very well today, with Green, Smart, Nelson and Turner all totaling 5 assists or more. The ball movement, which was lacking a little bit in the Florida road trip, allowed the Cs to shoot 52% from the floor.
- Jared Sullinger: Sullinger bounced back with a 19 and 8 game after being benched in Orlando. He hit a huge three to put the Celtics ahead with two minutes to go, and looked to have more energy overall.
- Jeff Green: Green also bounced back after a tough Florida road trip, scoring 22 points on 10 of 18 shooting.
The Gross:
- Free Throw Disparity: 28 Brooklyn free throws compared to Boston’s 11. The Cs need to make more of an effort to attack the rim and get to the line. Jeff Green has done a solid job so far this season and Tyler Zeller is typically good at drawing fouls, but the Cs need more. Marcus Smart is the ideal guy, but his ability to get to the line that he showed in college has yet to translate to the NBA.
- 56 paint points for Brooklyn: While it was nice to see the offense clicking, the Cs allowed too many easy baskets tonight. In the 4th, the game often comes down to who can make that final run. The only way to make a run is to stop your opponent from scoring, which the Cs could not manage to do to close out the game.
The Greenlights:
- Some love for KG before the game
- Avery Bradley off the Smart steal
- Bradley to Green for the oop
- Jae Crowder and 1
- Smart dives for ball and throws it ahead for a dunk
- Olynyk’s chase down block
- Wallace’s last second pass to Sully
The Grid:
- The Celtics only had 5 offensive rebounds, well below their average of 10.8
- The 56 paint points allowed is even worse than Boston’s average of 47.2, which ranks 29th in the NBA
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