Two Eastern convention contestants went upside down as the Boston Celtics hosted Brooklyn nets on Christmas Day. Both teams have been coming off season-winning wins and trying to measure themselves at the start of the season. The match was very close with the first 24 minutes of action, and the Celtics took a three-point lead into the half-time locker room. But in the third quarter, Brooklyn threw the game wide. Led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets beat the Celtics by 12 points in the third quarter, after which they never looked back. They took the lead in the fourth quarter, eventually winning 123-95.
With the win, the Nets move 2-0 at a young age, while the Celtics slip 1-1. The all-star duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving led the Nets as they combined for 66 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Carris Levert added 10 points for Brooklyn from the bench. Jaylan Brown accelerated the Celtics with 27 points and eight rebounds, and Jason Todd added 20 points and eight boards. At the start of the season it was still super, and both teams are still a long way off, but it is not an extension to think that these two teams will face each other later in the season.
Here are three key trips from the Nets’ victory over the Celtics.
1. The real deal of webs
Everyone was falling for the Nets after winning the Golden State Warriors. That match was dominated by Brooklyn. However, the victory came over the injured Warriors, who were without their second and third best players. In other words, you can only stretch the decisions made so far from that game. But he came out of Brooklyn and backed it up on Christmas Day by better presenting the Celtics team that was in the Eastern Conference final a few months ago. The Durant and Irving duo were just as good as they advertised, otherwise, the two combined for 56 points on Christmas Day – a great gift for net fans everywhere. This not only makes Torrent and Irving, but also makes the Nets more interesting. Garys Levert, Spencer Dinvidi, Joe Harris, Diandre Jordan and Jared Allen also found ways to contribute. Brooklyn is deep and talented, as long as they can be healthy, they will be a big issue at the Eastern Conference this season.
2. Like Kevin Torrent … Kevin Torrent
There has been a lot of speculation about Kevin Durant missing an entire season suffering from an Achilles injury in the 2019 finals, especially since he is now in his 30s. With two games, the verdict is very clear. Kevin Torrent, well, looks like Kevin Torrent. He dropped 22 points from 16 shots in the opening game of the season, and continued it with 29 points and 16-shot performance against the Celtics. Durant has shown that he has the ability to get anywhere on the court, and he still has the length to shoot up against any defender. As the season continues, Torrent will only be comfortable getting off the ground again, and this is a terrible thought for the rest of the league.
3. Celtics clearly lose Kemba Walker
The Celtics started the season abbreviated because they are without the services of Kemba Walker, who is sidelined indefinitely with knee pain. Although they were able to pull off a win over the Bucks to start the season without Walker, it was clear how much they missed him against the Nets. The Celtics were able to keep it close at the start of the match, but as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving began to cook for Brooklyn, the Celtics struggled to continue the attack and eventually managed to dislodge the Nets.
Both Jason Tottom and Jaylan Brown are loyal to Boston, but outside of them, the Celtics needed another player who could build plays and score at the top level. When he is healthy, Walker delivers it. Gordon Howard also provided it to a degree, but he went out of his way to sign with Charlotte Hornet. Until Walker lands, the Celtics should collectively lower the scores. The good news for them is that they don’t have to play a team with the Nets ’Firepower every night.
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