BSJ Game Report: Celtics 148, Nets 111 - Third-quarter dominance highlights victory

BOSTON —Friday night was a homecoming for the Boston Celtics. After a week-long All-Star break, they went out west for a four-game road trip. But Friday brought them back to TD Garden for a date with the Brooklyn Nets.

The Celtics started the first quarter red-hot from deep, going 5-of-5 before a second Jordi Fernandez timeout stopped their run. Derrick White made three of the five, and Baylor Scheiermanmade the other two.

But Brooklyn wasn't going anywhere. As the first wound down, they found scrappy buckets. Their physical defense forced some turnovers, and, combined with missed layups by the Celtics, the Nets turned those into transition opportunities.

Nikola Vucevic was a force on the offensive end. Brooklyn had trouble dealing with the mismatches he created on the block, but on the other end, they had no problem finishing through him at the rim. Neemias Quetafared much better on the defensive end.

Still, the Nets managed to hang in with Boston. A late Jaylen Brownpush gave the Celtics a 66-57 halftime lead, but Brooklyn was right there.

Boston did its best to force Michael Porter Jr.inside, but he was converting well around the hoop.

But once the third quarter opened, Brown was a man on a mission. He scored on seven of the Celtics' first 11 points in the second half, and he assisted on the other four (two Queta buckets inside). It was as if something lit a fire under him at the half. (Maybe it was frustration over a lack of foul calls.)

Brooklyn hung around for most of the third. They scratched and clawed their way to points while using their physicality to annoy Boston on the other end.

Then, the offense started to flow for the Celtics. Vucevic's three-point spacing paid off, as Boston's ball-handlers drove into the paint and kicked out to the big man. Ball movement quickly became the Celtics' best way to get easy buckets as the Nets' defense swarmed.

A lead that was kept in the single digits for most of the game quickly ballooned into a 26-point Boston advantage heading into the fourth, with Brown, Vucevic, and beautiful ball movement leading the charge.

As the fourth got underway, that lead grew and grew, and both teams eventually put in their benches. Spearheaded by a dominant third quarter, Boston cruised to victory on Friday night.

Big winner: The Celtics had been pretty cold shooting the ball for a few games heading into Friday night. They were getting good looks but couldn't convert.

Against the Nets, the shots finally fell.

Boston moved the ball well, passed out of Brooklyn's double-teams, and found open shooters.

Nothing about the Celtics' offensive process changed. They've been playing the same style all season long. But in the comfort of their own home, the Celtics' threes finally started to fall again.

Extra credit goes to Brown and Vucevic. Brown shot out of halftime like a cannonball, determined to lift up Boston's offense, and Vucevic was a mismatch nightmare for the Nets. Boston played off of his post-ups perfectly.

Ouch, tough one: Brooklyn was able to keep up with the Celtics for a few reasons, but two of the most notable were transition opportunities and free throws.

Whether it was turnovers or missed Celtics layups, Brooklyn was able to get the ball and run. Even on some made Boston buckets, the Nets took the ball out of the basket and found a way to score on the run.

And when Porter, in particular, got the ball inside, he was able to draw some fouls (and he made a lot of those same shots).

The big picture: It was good to see the Celtics' threes fall in bunches, and Vucevic's offensive fit is getting smoother and smoother, but the Nets still gave them some trouble.

Their physicality and willingness to run kept them in this game. However, just two days after Boston's offense came to a halt against the Denver Nuggets' physicality, they found a way around the Nets'.

The Celtics' ball movement allowed them to score around the extra pressure Brooklyn put on their ball-handlers. It was a great response to the main issue in Wednesday's game in Denver, and a good sign for the future.