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The Boston Celtics returned home to TD Garden and picked up a large 125-119 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
The Nets mute lead the first-spherical sequence 2-1, nonetheless no team in NBA history has rallied back from a 3-0 sequence deficit, making Game 3 a crucial one for the Celtics.
In his postseason return to Boston, dilapidated Celtics guard Kyrie Irving notched correct 16 choices as Brooklyn’s Important 3 of Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden blended for 96 choices.
That correct wasn’t adequate to silence the crowd at TD Garden, or stop cramped forward Jayson Tatum from shedding 50 choices, because the Celtics refrained from the brink of a first-spherical elimination.
Basic Performers
Jayson Tatum, SF, Boston Celtics: 50 choices, 7 assists, 6 rebounds
Marcus Natty, PG, Boston Celtics: 23 choices, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 5 three-pointers
Kevin Durant, PF, Brooklyn Nets: 39 choices, 9 rebounds, 1 aid
James Harden, SG, Brooklyn Nets: 41 choices, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 7 three-pointers
Tatum Drops 50 All any other time
The lasting image of Tatum’s most up-to-date 50-level outing would possibly possibly perhaps now no longer be his jumper over Kevin Durant, his drives to the rim or any of his 5 three-pointers on the night—though all are much candidates.
It goes to be Tatum running to his son, Deuce, on the sidelines, deciding on him up and celebrating Boston’s first playoff victory of the year with a large embrace prior to Deuce began running spherical the court docket care for his dad.
That is now no longer to relate every thing Tatum did prior to he got to hug his son wasn’t equally thrilling. It simplest made the second that much extra particular.
Facing a dire 3-0 sequence deficit—and with breakout center Robert Williams III unable to play the second half after an hurt in the first 24 minutes—Tatum utterly took over for Celtics. The 23-year-ancient posted 21 choices thru the first two frames prior to exploding for one more 29 after the break.
Tatum performed the total third quarter, posting 19 choices in the frame and conserving the Celtics ahead of the Nets.
After Brooklyn temporarily took a 73-72 lead midway thru the third, Tatum factored into 11 of the following 12 Celtics choices by assisting on three Marcus Natty three-pointers and knocking down three free throws. That helped Boston surge back ahead 85-77 and stable a lead the Celtics wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the night.
Honest when it appeared care for the Celtics’ season became winding down, Tatum showed he is as able to taking on video games as any player in the NBA. Conserving his leap shot hot would possibly possibly perhaps correct be Boston’s handiest chance at getting previous the Nets.
Friday night proved it is utterly plausible.
Irving Invisible In Return To Boston
Prior to Tatum made the rest the Nets would possibly possibly perhaps well carry out irrelevant in Game 3, Friday became presupposed to be all about Kyrie Irving.
Sure, the guard had been back to Boston since he disquieted the franchise by leaving to enroll in the Nets final year, nonetheless he’d but to play in entrance of Celtics fans. Accidents designate him numerous the 2019-20 season whereas smartly being and safety protocols all the draw thru the pandemic made it now no longer probably for any spectators to secure internal TD Garden all the draw thru the season when the Nets visited.
On Friday, with fans lastly allowed back in, Irving got to unique them what they had been lacking in person. It wasn’t all that impressive.
Despite hyping up the crowd to boo him all the draw thru warmups—which Celtics fans obliged by jeering the guard at any time when he touched the ball—Irving became the most life like probably member of the Nets’ Important 3 to play flat for 48 minutes.
Irving had correct eight choices after three quarters and didn’t hit his first shot behind the arc unless smartly into the fourth quarter.
Brooklyn would possibly be gifted adequate on paper to hold with any team in the NBA, nonetheless that in most cases begins with Irving and Harden in the backcourt. Harden held up his end of the discount with a franchise playoff story seven three-pointers, nonetheless that will perhaps well rarely originate up for Irving shooting 6-of-17 from the bottom.
Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Nets negate Kevin Durant has tallied 25+ choices in every of the first three video games of the Nets’ sequence vs. Boston. KD is the first Fetch to ranking 25+ choices in three straight playoff video games since Vince Carter did so in Games 3-5 of the Nets’ first spherical sequence vs. Toronto in 2007.
The Nets had every thing working early, and had been ready to care for end a 15-level lead in the first quarter, nonetheless that grew to alter into unsustainable as soon as it grew to alter into determined this became Tatum’s night and now no longer Irving’s.
Brooklyn will must reverse these outcomes in Game 4 if it would possibly possibly perhaps perhaps well continue pulling away from the Celtics in the first-spherical sequence.
What’s Subsequent
Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday, May presumably perhaps well 30 in Boston at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.
