The Brooklyn Nets played some of their worst offensive basketball of the season and Boston came out shooting the lights out in Game 1.
The Nets withstood Celtic haymaker after haymaker before picking themselves of the mat, dusting themselves off and fighting back in the second half.
Brooklyn's defense was stingy and allowed the team to climb out of a 32-20 first half hole and flip the script in the second half.
James Harden admitted that playing in front of 13,000-plus fans wasn't something he was used to and early playoff jitters played a factor.
For first time all year, the nets used a starting five of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Harden, Joe Harris, and Blake Griffin. Steve Nash hopes his team works out the kinks in the lineup as it looks to go up 2-0 in the series.
The Nets shot under 42 percent from the field and 24 percent from 3-point range, but still managed to overcome a poor shooting night to clinch a Game 1 victory.
Kevin Durant had 32, Kyrie Irving 29 and James Harden 22 to push the Nets to a 1+0 series advantage.
Brooklyn got all it could handle defensively from Brad Stevens in the first half, but the talent just overwhelmed Boston. Game 2 is set for Tuesday night at 7:30pm.
The Brooklyn Nets put on one of their worst shooting
performances of the season going 1 of 12 from beyond the arc, but somehow only trail the Boston Celtics by six points at halftime.
Steve Nash will need to make some offensive adjustments if he hopes the Nets can rebound and avoid a Game 1 upset.
The Nets have soldout Game 1 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, much to the chagrin of Knicks fans and Nets detractors.
Brooklyn used offer code "HARDEN" to give vaccinated fans 50 percent off playoff tickets. With fan capacity expanded to 33 percent, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Kevin Durant and company will look to capitalize on the home court advantage against the pesky Celtics.
Three fifths of the Nets starting lineup is already decided with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden in Brooklyn, but who will Steve Nash send out to compliment them for the opening tip?
The most likely candidates are Blake Griffin and Jeff Green, who would complete the ideal small ball lineup for the Nets.
Boston doesn't have a prototypical center to dump the ball down to inside and the Nets can get away with starting Griffin at the five. The playoffs are all about adjustments, so expect Nash and Brad Stevens to try and mix and match different lineup combinations to try and take advantage of any mismatches on the court. Game 1 tip is set for 8pm on Saturday.
Kyrie Irving is arguably the most polarizing player in the NBA. Often criticized for using his platform as a pulpit for his political, social and religious beliefs, Irving is a man that marches to the beat of his own drum.
Whether you agree with him or not, the Nets point guard is not shy in expressing how he feels about just about every topic under the sun. Irving's opinionated nature is part of who he is. He's a passionate individual who won't conform to any standards that aren't his own. It's why his departure from Boston was such a messy divorce. Irving had big dreams of following in the footsteps of many Celtic greats and delivering another championship to the storied franchise.
Instead, things went sideways and he left the organization as one of the most disliked and perhaps misunderstood players in recent memory.
Both Boston and Irving turned the page as he was the impetus for Kevin Durant joining him in Brooklyn, a franchise he used to follow in New Jersey as a child. Delivering a championship to the team he always admired and saw knock on the doorstep of with Jason Kidd has always struck a chord with Irving. Now, the Nets have their best ever chance at a ring with sportsbooks across the country listing them as the favorites too win the title.
Irving has stayed true to himself throughout his journey, but after leaving big promises unfulfilled in Boston, the current Nets floor general has a chance to do something no player in franchise history has been able to do, win the Larry O'Brien trophy.
He can be one team's ultimate villain and another team's savior all wrapped into one.
James Harden insists that the upcoming playoff
run with the Brooklyn Nets is not all about stats. While the wins will take precedent over any individual accomplishments, it's hard to ignore that Harden's career scoring average against the Celtics is among the worst of any teams he's faced.
Only the Clippers, Rockets, and Bulls held Harden below the 22.3 points per game threshold he posted in 23 regular season meetings with Boston.
It's not to say that Brad Stevens has Harden's number, but it's worth noting that the scoring prowess that is typically on display from the Nets guard was somewhat held in check. Harden has taken on more of a facilitator role with Brooklyn with his assist numbers through the roof and scoring numbers taking a slight hit.
Boston doesn't want Harden to beat them single-handedly, but as long as he's orchestrating the offense, keeping him in check alongside two other superstars will be a difficult task.
The Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics will get underway Saturday at 8PM at Barclays Center with as many as 33 percent of the arena's capacity permitted in the building. Brooklyn isn't looking past its first round opponent, even without Jaylen Brown as the Celtics second-star alongside Jayson Tatum. With Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Evan Fournier and plenty of scoring punch to go along with the the superb coaching of Brad Stevens, the Nets' Big three's first taste of playoff basketball as a complete trio together should make for a compelling matchup.
Most pundits don't expect the series to go beyond five games, but the Celtics have shown to be a gritty, disciplined team, and while short-handed can pose a challenge to the talent-laden Nets.
On May 19, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo approved an increase in fan capacity from 20 percent to 33 percent to the delight of sports fans throughout the state. The Nets promotion aims to reward vaccinated fans with a special code "HARDEN" to cover half the cost of their tickets.
The Beard is 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. @JHarden13 will cover the cost of half your ticket for Games 1 and 2 when you use code HARDEN.
As the world slowly moves toward a sense of normalcy, the return of fans in large numbers to stadiums and arenas across the country is a major development.
No, James Harden will not be sending fans a check to cover half their costs, but the unique marketing offer at least gives fans an incentive to watching the team they love and the sport they love in person.
Brooklyn's defense was stingy and allowed the team to climb out of a 32-20 first half hole and flip the script in the second half.
James Harden admitted that playing in front of 13,000-plus fans wasn't something he was used to and early playoff jitters played a factor.
For first time all year, the nets used a starting five of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Harden, Joe Harris, and Blake Griffin. Steve Nash hopes his team works out the kinks in the lineup as it looks to go up 2-0 in the series.
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