Celtics

After the Game 1 buzzer beater of Jayson Tatum, fans were ecstatic that this would be one of the most exciting first round series in recent memory. The ...

If the Celtics are able to wrap it up early, it gives them a ton of time to rest in Boston because they will also have home court advantage against either the Bucks or Bulls in the second round. The physicality and off-the-ball bumping has left Durant exhausted, so Nash must not consider making Durant a point forward at any time of the game. Coach Steve Nash is forced to utilize guys like Patty Mills, Goran Dragic, and Andre Drummond for an extended amount of time who are all struggling in this series because of the constant disruptions and contests of the Celtics defenders. The scoring prowess of Tatum is unquestioned, but it is his defensive performance on Durant that has caught the eye of the people. In the first three games of the series, Tatum has vastly outplayed one of the best players in the association Kevin Durant. Dodging an opponent was not an option for coach Ime Udoka and the Celtics as they have stamped their class in this series with a commanding 3-0 lead.

BOSTON (CBS) — The Celtics are on the brink of a first-round sweep, putting the Nets in a 3-0 series hole with a 109-103 Game 3 win in Brooklyn on Saturday ...

Boston called a timeout, and the Celtics promptly went on a 6-0 run to end the frame. After being held scoreless in the second quarter, Tatum scored 13 in the third for Boston. He continued his hot streak into the fourth, draining a three and then getting a driving two and the foul as part of an 8-0 Celtics run to go up 96-84. Three straight buckets by Payton Pritchard — including a nice step-back three — ballooned Boston’s lead to a dozen, 37-25, early in the second. Irving had his fingerprints all over the run despite scoring just once during the stretch, dishing out three while coming up with a steal. The Celtics led by six after the first, and built on the lead to start the second as Durant got a rest on the bench. Boston took a commanding lead in the series thanks to another big night from Jayson Tatum, who scored 39 points to go with six assists, five rebounds and six steals.

It was previously reported that he was targeting a return within Games 4 to 6.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania previously reported that Simmons was planning to make his season debut in Game 4 against the Celtics. Before that, it was reported that Simmons was targeting a return within Games 4 to 6. The Nets are down 3–0 against the Celtics and could very well be swept out of the first round of the playoffs on Monday. The point forward was acquired by Brooklyn in a blockbuster trade that landed James Harden with Philadelphia back in February. Unfortunately, the Nets haven’t been able to get Simmons on the floor with fellow star players Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Nets listed Ben Simmons as out for Game 4 against the Celtics Monday. Simmons missed the entire regular season and has yet to appear in the playofsf due to a herniated disc in his back.

The second-seeded Boston Celtics have shocked many and taken a 3-0 series lead on the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.

The Celtics defense has disrupted the rhythm of the Nets offense all series long, Durant most specifically. Last but not least, the Celtics will sweep the Nets. This may not seem that bold, but the Celtics finishing off the Nets in four games would still be surprising. With all of that being said, the Celtics have simply been the best team all series long. The Celtics have been able to do something that perhaps no team has: slow down Kevin Durant. Considered the best player in the world by many, Durant has simply looked flustered all series. The second-seeded Boston Celtics have shocked many and taken a 3-0 series lead on the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. In a win-or-go-home Game 4 for the Nets, it should be another close one.

Jaylen Brown has never had a problem with athleticism. He entered the NBA as a tantalizing blend of raw quick twitch muscle, leaping ability, and strength.

Brown’s effectiveness at the basket has buoyed his overall efficiency despite a stretch of cold three-point shooting. The best route to keeping Brown from scoring in the paint is to keep him from getting there in the first place. A loose handle and a paucity of touch limited Brown’s ability to fully leverage his lightning quick first step and explosiveness headed towards the basket in his first several years in the league.

Durant and teammate Kyrie Irving combined for 14 points in the fourth quarter in their last two games.

The star for Brooklyn was Bruce Brown, who led Brooklyn in scoring with 26 points. Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant scored just 16 points as the Celtics won 109-103 to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series. Durant mentioned after the game he's been overthinking too much on his approach heading into each game against the Celtics. He felt he "was making solid reads" and that he should've "taken a few more shots." "I've just gotta do better," Irving said. Kyrie's fasting and Kevin's had to play 40+ minutes for 5-6 weeks after missing 6-7 weeks," Nets head coach Steve Nash said following the game. "They've both got to be tired.

Ben Simmons awoke with back soreness on Sunday and the Nets agreed he'll remain out for Monday's Game 4.

Simmons arrived in Philadelphia near the end of the preseason but cited his mental health for the reason that his participation in team activities was so limited. The 76ers have insisted that Simmons breached his player contract upon failing to show up for the start of training camp and refusing to play during the preseason and regular season. Simmons filed a grievance to challenge the nearly $20 million of salary withheld to him by the 76ers this season.

Miller, who famously scored eight points in the final nine seconds of a playoff game as the Pacers stunned the Knicks in 1995, dropped another postseason hammer ...

The Nets will be eliminated with one more loss to the Celtics, and NBA teams are 0-143 in series after losing the first three games. And yet Simmons wasn’t given the same benefit of the doubt. This dude has ZERO competitive [fire emoji].”

The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets face off on Monday at Barclays Center in Game 4 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Nets vs. Pelicans vs. - Hawks vs. Timberwolves vs. Nuggets vs. Raptors vs. Pelicans vs. - Hawks vs. Nets vs. Jazz vs. Raptors vs. Bulls vs.

Khris Middleton, Devin Booker, and many more are all out. ... Robert Williams isn't the only key NBA player dealing with an injury during the playoffs. Many ...

The Suns lead the Pelicans, two games to one, but New Orleans has kept the series tighter than many expected. MVP candidate Joel Embiid is playing through the pain while dealing with a possible torn ligament in his thumb. He’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks, which means the series with Chicago could potentially go longer than it otherwise might have.

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Kendrick Perkins has lofty expectations for the Celtics if big man Robert Williams is healthy for the remainder of the NBA playoffs.

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The Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics have finalized their injury reports for Game 3 at Barclays Center on Saturday evening.

Devin Booker did not play in the game because he was out due to a hamstring injury.CLICK HERE. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the former All-Star will miss the rest of the first-round against the Chicago Bulls with a knee injury .CLICK HERE. The two teams faced off in the first-round of the postseason last year, and the Nets won the series in just five games.

he Boston Celtics, already gushing with confidence after holding serve in the first two games of an Eastern Conference first-round series against the ...

In 30 minutes of floor time with the Horford/Theis combo together, Boston has a net rating of plus-14.8. Theis provided some necessary offense during Wednesday’s Game 2 triumph. Celtics Talk: Derrick White on Celtics' defense, bench contributions with team up 2-0 over the Nets Injuries forced him out of the series during Boston’s lone win in Game 3. There will be obvious rust from a months-long absence, but Williams’ return feels a bit like the final infinity stone for a Celtics starting five that has been a steamroller during the 2021-22 regular season. That’s discouraging news for a Nets team that has seen its key offensive stars bottled up at times this series. The Celtics will tread cautiously with reintegrating Williams, but there is no fear that an expedited return might aggravate his knee ailment.

By Taylor Snow | @taylorcsnow. Celtics.com. April 23, 2022. If Rob Williams' recovery from a partial left meniscectomy on March 30 went as well as initially ...

It shows us how serious he is and how bad he wants to be there with us, and we can’t wait to have him out there.” “The fact that he’s making strides to get back shows he’s doing everything the right way with the rehab to get back,” said Boston’s starting point guard. “The four-to-six-week time frame is a broad one and everyone reacts differently,” Udoka said following Saturday’s shootaround in Brooklyn. “He’s met the benchmarks as we’ve gone, and we’ve been impressed by his progress.

We've got an early Upset Alert brewing as the Boston Celtics have gotten out to a surprisingly quick start despite kicking off as a 4-point underdog.

- Nov 14, 2017 - Boston 109 vs. - Jan 14, 2019 - Brooklyn 109 vs. - Jan 28, 2019 - Boston 112 vs. - Mar 11, 2021 - Brooklyn 121 vs. - Apr 23, 2021 - Brooklyn 109 vs. - May 22, 2021 - Brooklyn 104 vs. Williams had some trouble finding his footing against Brooklyn in the teams' previous meeting earlier this month, so this was a step in the right direction. The Boston Celtics have enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they must head out on the road. - May 30, 2021 - Brooklyn 141 vs. - Nov 24, 2021 - Brooklyn 123 vs. The Brooklyn Nets have been relying on small forward Bruce Brown, who has 23 points along with six rebounds, and center Nicolas Claxton, who has 13 points along with seven boards. Sitting on a score of 81-72, they have looked like the better team out there today, but there's still one more quarter to play.

It resulted in Durant missing all 10 of his field-goal attempts in the second half of Game 2, while Boston built a 2-0 series lead following a 114-107 victory.

They outscored the Nets 29-17 and held them to 5 of 19 from the field (26.3 percent) in the final 12 minutes. Celtics big man Robert Williams plans to play a limited role in Game 3, which would be less than four weeks removed from knee surgery. Boston also got standout showings from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in the final 12 minutes. In both games, the Celtics were able to harass Durant into a bad half. I just got to go out there and play. On Wednesday, Boston erased a 17-point deficit and held Durant to 4-of-17 shooting with another six turnovers.

It's a must win for the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night as they head into a Game 3 matchup against the Boston Celtics down 0-2.

Brown will be essential to their defensive efforts tonight and he’s going to need to replicate that level of play every game out so the Nets can have a chance to get in the winning column. What would help Nash and the Nets is if they move the ball around a lot more. We talk a lot about the Nets offense and we know what happens when they’re at their best.

Kevin Durant has struggled in both of the games played in Boston. He shot 9-14 in Game 1 and then followed that up with 4-17 shooting in Game 2. Jayson Tatum ...

If they lose this game, the Nets are right back in the series with some momentum and confidence and so the Celtics must look at this as a must win game and play like it is Game 7. Can the Celtics block out the distractions of playing on the road and stay focused on the game? In the opener, Boston’s size (and obviously, a Tatum game winner) was an issue for the Nets; the Celtics grabbed 14 offensive rebounds to Brooklyn’s 5 and outscored them in the paint 56 to 32. The Celtics defense on Durant and Kyrie has been excellent in the first 2 games. The Celtics must come in and play as if their backs are against the wall and they need to work harder than the Nets and not underestimate the Nets in any way. The Celtics out-rebounded the Nets 43-29 in Game 1 but in Game 2, both teams had 36 rebounds. He has shot a combined 13-41 in the first two games and has turned the ball over 6 times in each game. I’m going to guess that they bring him off the bench to ease him back in for his limited minutes and so I have included Daniel Theis in the starting lineup. The Celtics won the first game 115-114 on a last second layup by Jayson Tatum. They fell behind by as many as 17 points in game 2 and were behind by 5 points going into the 4th quarter. Both Durant and Steve Nash have spoken out about the Celtics physicality in both of the games so far. The series now shifts from the two games in Boston to play the next two games in Brooklyn. The Celtics lead the series 2-0. He is officially listed as questionable but the plan is for him to play limited minutes in this game and then if that goes well, he will resume a more substantial role in Game 4.

Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics with 39 points, six assists and six steals, while Brown put up another 23 points and five assists. Rob Williams also ...

Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics with 39 points, six assists and six steals, while Brown put up another 23 points and five assists. Bruce Brown, again unexpectedly, put up 26 points and eight rebounds for the Nets. There were multiple times the crowd wanted to get into the game and flip momentum, but the Celtics quickly silenced them.

The Celtics team defense limited Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and the Jays took care of business offensively in a decisive Game 3 win.

Despite a 10-point lead with a few minutes to go in the third, the Nets kept close with a two-minute, 7-0 run keyed by ball movement and some important stops. To start the fourth, the Celtics endured a big run keyed by Blake Griffin, who saw action for the first time in weeks. The Celtics defense kept the pressure on the Nets, while the offense continued to take what was given. Brooklyn had four turnovers in the first three minutes of the second half. Payton Pritchard made the most of his early minutes in the second quarter, hitting two shots in the paint and a step back three for the Celtics’ first seven points in the new period. At the break, Tatum and Pritchard led Boston in scoring with 12 and 10 respectively. Brooklyn answered with an 8-0 run, cutting the lead back to a single possession. Udoka called a timeout with three minutes left in the quarter, hoping to halt Brooklyn’s momentum. He continued his proficiency in the second with a second 3-pointer, reaching 10 points midway through the second. Smart led the Celtics with three assists, while Horford had two blocks, holding the Boston defense together. In the first two games at TD Garden, Durant had 12 combined turnovers and struggled to find his shots against the Celtics’ defense. Robert Williams was active for the Celtics and came off the bench.

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 39 points as the Boston Celtics seized a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Brooklyn Nets.

It’s a little different than playing a game that’s stashed away during the middle of the regular season.” We all need to take a look in the mirror. With Irving sitting for an extended stretch of the fourth quarter with five fouls, Griffin drilled back-to-back three-pointers to briefly lift Brooklyn’s spirits. Nash suggested fatigue could be a factor for both Irving, who is fasting for Ramadan, and Durant, who dealt with an especially heavy workload down the stretch of the regular season. “I’m just thinking too much, to be honest,” said Durant, who credited Boston’s size for making life difficult on Brooklyn. “I try to figure out how to be the best version of myself and also not get in my teammates’ way. There’s a lot of bigger picture and bigger context to how he’s feeling, how able he would be to adapt to the environment. For the third consecutive game, the 2014 MVP was outplayed by Boston’s Jayson Tatum, who scored a game-high 39 points, received scattered “M-V-P” chants from traveling Celtics fans and capped the win with a breakaway dunk in the closing seconds. Within minutes, Griffin tossed a lazy pass on the perimeter that Brown returned the other way for an uncontested dunk. Instead, they were a flat mess for much of the first quarter, unable to conjure the offensive rhythm and flow that made them preseason title favorites. Instead, the change of venue didn’t change the Nets’ fortunes. The Nets committed 21 turnovers by night’s end, and these were lackadaisical mistakes from a team with players who don’t know each other well enough to pull together when facing a crisis. The Celtics rolled into the playoffs as the East’s second seed, and their core group has moved in sync thanks to its past postseason trips.

The Brooklyn Nets are officially one loss away from an offseason that's likely to be filled with plenty of housekeeping. But in the meantime, it's all about ...

Saturday night, courtside was filled with everyone from Victor Cruz to Mary J. Blige to Wanda Durant. but the big name was Spike Lee who came to the game dressed in a Jackie Robinson Dodgers jersey and a Dodgers cap. Well, the Nets appear to be an exception to that rule. These dastardly Nets found a way to blow yet another inbound pass in the final 6 minutes of a must-win game. Careless turnovers stunted the Nets and kept the Celtics in the driver's seat midway through the period. Out of the Nets timeout, the Celtics got more aggressive getting to the rim, forcing their way to the foul line, and kicking out to their perimeter shooters outside the arc. In the final quarter that may ultimately decide Brooklyn’s season, Griffin left it all out on the court for the Nets. The veteran nailed back-to-back threes mixed with valuable hustle plays to bring the Nets within four points. Outside of turnovers, Brooklyn shot 50.6 percent from the field and almost edged Boston on the boards (34-33) and points in the paint (50-42). The Celtics flattened the Nets in fast-break points by a heavy margin of 25-9 — a catalyst to the 21 turnovers. The second quarter opened with a chaotic set from Brooklyn that resulted in Irving taking a deep 3-Pointer and a shot clock violation. It was an ugly start to the third for Brooklyn, who came out of halftime outmatched by Boston’s hustle and energy. The Nets turned over the ball a total of 21 times and the Celtics flipped them into 37 points. Blake Griffin played in his first game since April 2, giving Brooklyn a lift to keep slivers of hope alive late in the game. Boston led from the 3:58 mark of the first and didn’t look back.

Robert Williams III suited up for the Boston Celtics in Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets, less than a month after tearing his meniscus. Here's how Time Lord ...

He entered late in the first quarter the Celtics holding a modest 26-20 lead. As such, there weren't a ton of highlights from Williams in the game. Playing on a minutes restriction, Time Lord logged 16 minutes for the Celtics in a 109-103 win that gave Boston a commanding 3-0 lead over the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

NEW YORK -- — The stoppers are suffocating the scorers. And as Boston was finishing another shutdown effort against Kevin Durant and the Nets, a loud “Let's Go Celtics! Let's Go Celtics!” chant broke out from the many fans in green who had seats in ...

“It’s a little different than playing a game that’s stashed away in the middle of the regular season, so I think that there’s a few factors at play here to evaluate when he’s ready to play.” Boston was still ahead by eight with under 1 1/2 minutes left in the half, but the Nets scored seven straight and it was 53-50 at the break. Boston led most of the way before the Nets cut it to three with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter. ... Director Spike Lee, a longtime Knicks fan, was at the game wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey and hat. Brown kept the Nets at bay from there, repeatedly finding a 1-on-1 matchup and driving to the basket. “We want to keep it that way because we know what he can do.” Nash said Simmons scrimmaged 3-on-3 Saturday morning and had no setbacks. Irving was 6 for 17, missing all seven 3-pointers, and also had 16 points for the Nets, who have to decide if they will give Ben Simmons his debut Monday in an elimination game. But it's been mostly all Celtics since Tatum's basket at the buzzer gave them a victory in Game 1. They’re too good a team for us to do that,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. Throwing a lot of passes that are second thoughts. “We know what it is," Durant said.

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics again kept Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Nets in check, lifting the Celtics to a Game 3 win and a 3-0 series lead.

Nash laid part of the blame for that on the push the Nets had to make at the end of the regular season just to make the playoffs. And he noted Irving has had to play a lot while fasting during Ramadan. “I feel for them,” Nash said. Nash noted Nets needed Durant to play 40 min a night for several weeks to make playoffs. Ben Simmons is set to return for the Nets in Game 4 Monday, but that feels like a footnote now. It was a beautiful bit of team basketball and the kind of chemistry that comes over the course of playing together since September in training camp, then working on good habits through an 82-game season. Brooklyn’s leading scorer and shot taker in Game 3 was Bruce Brown. He had 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting — the Celtics will live with that every day of the week.

"The playoffs are a different animal. To see this happen in the playoffs is great for us." Celtics Nets Game 3 Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics shoots against ...

“Those guys are the best players in the world, so just trying to keep them on their toes and live with the results,” Brown said. The Celtics need one more win to sweep, they have home-court advantage in the second round, and they haven’t completely tapped their potential in the playoffs. So I think his play especially in the beginning of the fourth kind of propelled us and gave everybody that spark in the rest of the fourth.” The Nets seem to be splintering. In 15 minutes, he scored two points, grabbed two rebounds, and dissuaded the Nets from driving at times with his presence. Maybe equally encouraging for the Celtics: Williams didn’t really impact the game, and they still claimed a 3-0 series lead. “Our confidence has been high but to do it in the playoffs can help us going forward.” 3. Tatum will get a lot of well-deserved credit for Saturday’s win, but Jaylen Brown was excellent in the fourth quarter. Brown finished with 23 points on 9-for-16 shooting, and when Griffin looked like he might give the Celtics some real problems, Brown was the one who attacked him on the other end and kept the Nets at arm’s length. 2. Early in his career, Jayson Tatum drew comparisons to Paul George, and that probably undersold his potential. Irving is obviously an important piece of the Nets’ puzzle, but he’s not Kevin Durant. The theory that the Nets might win this series was based on Durant’s ability to slow Jayson Tatum and beat the Celtics’ vaunted defense. They faced down the 7-seed nobody else wanted to play, and they are now answering post-game questions about staying focused for a close-out game with a big lead.

The Celtics again made things difficult for the Nets with stifling defense and put themselves in position to finish the sweep Monday in Brooklyn.

"It’s a little different than playing a game that’s stashed away in the middle of the regular season, so I think that there’s a few factors at play here to evaluate when he’s ready to play." Boston was still ahead by eight with under 1½ minutes left in the half, but the Nets scored seven straight and it was 53-50 at the break. Boston led most of the way before the Nets cut it to three with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter. ... Director Spike Lee, a longtime Knicks fan, was at the game wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey and hat. Brown kept the Nets at bay from there, repeatedly finding a 1-on-1 matchup and driving to the basket. "We want to keep it that way because we know what he can do." But it's been mostly all Celtics since Tatum's basket at the buzzer gave them a victory in Game 1. Irving was 6 for 17, missing all seven 3-pointers, and also had 16 points for the Nets, who have to decide if they will give Ben Simmons his debut Monday in an elimination game. Throwing a lot of passes that are second thoughts. "More of the same," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. "We know what it is," Durant said. "We’re not being forceful in our actions.

According to Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash, fatigue to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving is factoring into their 0-3 deficit against the Boston Celtics.

Like Durant, Irving also doesn't think fatigue or his fasting for Ramadan are the reasons for his less than stellar play. "I feel good playing. Boston's defense has played a huge role in that, mucking things up and preventing Durant from getting in any sort of rhythm. Durant really hasn't looked like himself in this series. The Nets ask Durant and Irving to essentially carry the whole team. In their first-round series against the Nets, the Celtics have outplayed and outclassed Brooklyn through three games.

The Bucks, Heat and Sixers will have something to say about this, but this Boston team is on another level.

The Nets have forced Tatum to be a volume scorer (he needed 29 shots on Saturday), but the point is he's able to get those shots on his terms. With Robert Williams back, they are equipped to defend Giannis Antetokounmpo to whatever degree that is possible in a likely second-round matchup, and Khris Middleton very well might not play in that series. Irving, meanwhile, was 0-for-7 from 3 on Saturday and is 10-for-30 overall over the past two games of this series. Durant has brought the ball up in this series and he's been harassed to death as soon as he crosses half court. Frankly, it's all Durant can even do to receive a clean pass at the start of the possession in the first place. This one is over, and to this point, I'm not sure I've ever seen a more impressive first-round performance.

NEW YORK (AP) — The stoppers are suffocating the scorers. And as Boston was finishing another shutdown effort against Kevin Durant and the Nets, ...

The Celtics went from a team that couldn't execute in the clutch to winning close postseason games.

His team needed some tough coaching, and that’s what the first-year coach provided in a time of strife. Brooklyn coach Steve Nash tried to make adjustments on the fly like throwing in Blake Griffin, but the Celtics simply out-executed their foes. The Celtics had execution problems, but part of it was luck. Of course, there was some statistical noise in the sample size. The stats showed Boston could be a solid team — especially at full health — but the Celtics’ inability to execute in the fourth quarter looked like their downfall. NEW YORK — When the Celtics solidified their turnaround midway through the season, there was a side effect that came from all those victories.

While we have not seen as much of the legendary Boston Celtics counterpart to Los Angeles Lakers icon Earvin “Magic” Johnson in the hit HBO NBA basketball ...

Better known as the ‘Showtime” Lakers, the team joined the Celtics, through the on-court wizardry of Magic and Bird, to help revitalize a moribund NBA in the early 1980s. With many younger Boston fans becoming aware of that era of play and the Celtics’ own titles teams of that decade, it behooves us to share more highlights of Larry Legend and his play with the Boston teams from that era. While we have not seen as much of the legendary Boston Celtics counterpart to Los Angeles Lakers icon Earvin “Magic” Johnson in the hit HBO NBA basketball series “ Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” but Hall of Fame small forward Larry Joe Bird played an important foil to the Los Angeles title teams of the 1980s.

Jayson Tatum once again looked like the biggest star on the court in the Celtics' Game 3 victory over the Nets. We share our takeaways from the C's 109-103 ...

Payton Pritchard went on a run with all 10 of his points coming in the first half. The Celtics big man was eased into action with a minutes limit, but he still showed flashes of his usual self. Brooklyn kept it close for much of the fourth quarter Saturday night, but Brown stepped up to be the closer. They earned a 109-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the first-round playoff series. Tatum finished with a wild stat line of 39 points, six assists, six steals and five rebounds. For Brooklyn, Bruce Brown enjoyed another impressive performance in a loss with 26 points.

On this day, Boston point guard legend Bob Cousy played his last game for the Celtics, and Hall of Fame wing Frank Ramsey was drafted.

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce, left, and guard Keyon Dooling, right, converge on Miami Heat forward Shane Battier during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Tuesday, April 24, 2012. The Celtics won 101-89 and swept the series. The Celtics won 78-66. The first was Red Morrison, taken out of Idaho with the 14th overall pick. Ramsey would go on to win seven championships over his nine seasons in the league, all with Boston. Cousy scored 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists in his final game as a Celtic, shooting 8-of-16 from the floor. “It’s what we expected coming in. The first was a 101 – 89 Game 4 win that saw the Celtics sweep the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2011 Eastern Conference Playoffs behind Kevin Garnett’s 26 points and 10 rebounds. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) He would play two seasons with Boston — winning a title with the team in 1974 — and averaged 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds over his career. Today is also the date of the 1973 NBA draft, again held in New York, in which the Celtics selected two players of note. It is also the date of the 1954 NBA draft, held in New York City and in which Boston drafted two players of note.

This is the first time the Wyc Grousbeck-led ownership group has taken the next-level steps needed to host the annual event.

The perception is the Leonard-George pairing has been a failure. “You’re constantly evaluating just the balance of play-starters, play-finishers, connectors, and then look, to win a championship, we do need our best players to be healthy,” Frank said. “We watch all these playoff games because there’s a lot of learning to be done, but you do watch it with a degree of emptiness and envy. The gathering of Leonard and George for a dynamic duo just hasn’t worked. But in recent years it has been presented to players who have taken the next step in their careers, but also made natural progressions. The Clippers knew they would be hard-pressed to make a serious run in the Western Conference without Kawhi Leonard, who tore his ACL during last year’s playoff run. Another obstacle for the Celtics is the state’s lack of a sports commission. This is especially the case for the Most Improved Player award. All-Star cities have to have a number of amenities, such as ample hotel rooms, an available convention center, and a nearly two-week open block of time when no other events are scheduled for the facilities. Smart was the top candidate most of the second half of the season and he edged Phoenix’s Mikal Bridges and Utah’s Rudy Gobert. The league would love to host an All-Star Game at San Francisco’s Chase Center and the Clippers’ new arena, which is scheduled for completion in Inglewood, Calif., in 2024. For years, the NBA was searching for host All-Star cities, with many team owners uninterested because of the financial commitment.

From Daniel Theis' thunderous throwdown to Derrick White's touchdown pass to Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown turning a steal into a two-handed flush at the other ...

Jaylen Brown does a great job getting into the passing lane to intercept Blake Griffin's swing pass. The Nets are in a zone defense that initially kept the Celtics from getting in a rhythm offensively. It starts with a missed three by Bruce Brown and the Celtics keeping the Nets off the glass.

The Celtics once again received the type of leading performances at both ends of the court from their star players that the Nets desperately needed — but ...

“When you get out there, it helps you to not think about it,” Williams said of his knee. The 6-foot-9 Williams finished fourth in the NBA with 2.2 blocked shots per game, while averaging nearly a double-double (10.0 points and 9.6 rebounds) in 29.6 minutes per game over 61 starting appearances. He doesn’t always get the credit for that because of the scoring prowess.” “He’s been that all year for us,” Boston coach Ime Udoka said of Tatum, who finished with six steals. Our job is to make him guess a little bit, and to make it tough. “As long as we won, that’s all I care about.”

After taking a 2-0 lead in the series after some close games and clutch performances from their stars, the Boston Celtics traveled to Brooklyn for their ...

For listeners of the show, Calm is offering an exclusive offer of 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at https://CALM.COM/garden! After talks of trying to dodge their opponents, they now have a chance to do the unimaginable. Boston managed to take everything the Nets could throw at them and then some, including a late run by Brooklyn’s three point shooters.

Irving's inability to play home games in Brooklyn until March was a big reason why the Nets have struggled to build chemistry.

However, that path may be tough unless the team can find a coach or veterans that better hold Irving accountable himself. Kevin Durant looks like a shell of himself in this series against Boston after having to carry this Nets team for months with Irving serving as just a part-time player. After delivering an offensive gem in Game 1 of the Celtics-Nets series, Kyrie Irving has been a massive disappointment for Brooklyn over the past two games.

The Celtics are a win away from moving on to the second round. Read more on Boston.com.

“It’s a little different than playing a game that’s stashed away in the middle of the regular season, so I think that there’s a few factors at play here to evaluate when he’s ready to play.” Boston was still ahead by eight with under 1 1/2 minutes left in the half, but the Nets scored seven straight and it was 53-50 at the break. Boston led most of the way before the Nets cut it to three with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter. … Director Spike Lee, a longtime Knicks fan, was at the game wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey and hat. Brown kept the Nets at bay from there, repeatedly finding a 1-on-1 matchup and driving to the basket. Irving was 6 for 17 and also had 16 points for the Nets, who have to decide if they will give Ben Simmons his debut Monday in an elimination game.