Celtics

The Boston Celtics completed a 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in their Eastern Conference first-round series by holding on to a 116-112 victory Monday night ...

It's about how we can find solutions to get better, proactive as an organization to get better." "It's about how we can progress and get better from here. "It's funny to us because we don't duck and dodge anybody," Smart told the media after the game. Injuries throughout the season to guard Joe Harris and superstar Durant, as well as Irving's extended absence due to his choice not to be vaccinated for Covid-19 , "Cmon MAN!!! Out for Game 4 when it was rumored you were going to make your debut. We were trying to exercise every option for me to play, but I never wanted to just be about me.

The Celtics finished off the Nets in Game 4 for the sweep.

The Celtics were still up by six points, but the Nets were going to be desperate for the victory. Brooklyn never held the lead in Monday’s game, and the Celtics ushered the Nets into the offseason. That’s a huge plus after a physical first-round series against the Nets. The Celtics only outscored the Nets by 18 points over the four games. But the Celtics responded by shutting the door on the Nets’ season. The Celtics led by as many as 15 points, but the Nets kept chipping away. But the Celtics never withered.

For Brooklyn, Kevin Durant scored 39 points but needed 31 shot attempts to get there. Kyrie Irving had 20 points of his own. The Celtics never trailed. Boston ...

- Benge: "This might well be a game for Vinicius Junior, who will almost certainly be attacking a player who is not ready for the task. - Trapasso: "Saints moving into the top 10 for a quarterback -- 'New Orleans is weirdly positioned at No. 16 and No. 19 overall. Toronto staved off elimination again and cut the series deficit to 3-2 with a 103-88 win in Philadelphia. ... At full pelt Walker should be able to tame the Brazilian. If City do not have their best covering defender at that sort of level, then it might be Vinicius rather than Benzema who does the damage." When it came down to it, yes the sweep was surprising and embarrassing, but the Nets were simply not a championship-caliber team, and the Celtics exposed that. The Chiefs and the Packers, two receiver-needy teams in win-now mode. Then again, Doc Rivers is the only coach to blow three 3-1 leads, and Harden hasn't done much to shed his reputation as someone who struggles in the playoffs. The entire advantage of having Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving is that your team should always be able to generate a good shot in the half-court. To sign up and get this in your inbox, fill out the information below. The Celtics are magnificent defensively with no weak spots on that end of the floor. You name it, the Nets probably suffered from it. All season long, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference seemed like the one nobody wanted, as the Nets likely awaited as the No. 7 seed.

A look at the who and when awaiting Jayson Tatum & Co. as the Celtics advance to the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. He has been covering the Bruins since 2010, and has been a member of the Boston chapter of the PHWA since 2013. (The Bruins, for what it’s worth, are expected to play home games 3 and 4 of their first-round series with an opponent TBD on May 6 and May 8, but that’s yet to be finalized.) With Milwaukee up three games to one over the Bulls, and with the series set to resume Wednesday night in Milwaukee, it’s entirely possible that the second-round showdown is set in time for a weekend start. “It’s huge,” Jayson Tatum said of the break between the first and second round. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. “Obviously, more time for Rob [Williams] and then myself [and] everybody.

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 to sweep the series and advance to the second-round of the playoffs.

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 series had been expected to be one of the all-timers, but instead the Celtics are the first team in the playoffs to get to the second-round, while the Nets are the only team in the playoffs to be swept in the first-round.

Jayson Tatum outplayed Kevin Durant in the playoffs, and there's no ignoring it writes John Schuhmann. BROOKYLN — When asked to pick the 2022 NBA champions back ...

“He brought the best out of me,” Tatum said of Durant. “I knew that I had to be on top of my game in this series. The Celtics were 2-2 against the champs in the regular season, with the home team winning all four games. The Nets obviously have a lot of questions for this summer. The sweep allows the Celtics to get some extra days off, important for Robert Williams III, who played the last two games after returning from a four-week absence. In the regular season, they had the league’s second-worst record (13-22) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes. On one end of the floor, he was Durant’s primary defender. But the Celtics have been tested, and they’ve passed with flying colors. The Nets had chances in Game 4 of their first-round series with the Boston Celtics on Monday, but just couldn’t get the stops they needed down the stretch. We have to have the mentality that we’re not the best team, because once you get that mentality that you’re the best team, you start to get complacent and bad habits start to kick in. Despite Durant’s individual struggles, Brooklyn shot better than 50% in three of the four games. It was a wild 6 1/2 months, culminating with a flawed and shorthanded team getting exposed in the postseason. With how well the Celtics have played since late January, it wouldn’t be crazy to call them a serious title contender.

Good luck to Nets superstar Kevin Durant, coach (for now) Steve Nash, and owner Joseph Tsai. It's only going to get worse until the inevitable acrimonious ...

He's also frequently unavailable, this year because he refused to get vaccinated, but in prior seasons for myriad injuries. Let Brooklyn's fans lament a future in which this destroyer of franchises looks in the mirror and sees not an agent of chaos, but a princeling with the power to shape the roster. That's only half of the equation, however. Let the record show that his late putback effectively sealed Monday's victory. But instead of devastating the Celtics, Irving's departure actually saved them. Irving's departure in 2019 had supposedly precluded that possibility effectively forever, with the countdown clocks on superstar Jayson Tatum and All-Star Jaylen Brown ticking inexorably towards midnight and an ugly organizational reset.

The Celtics may go as far as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown take them, and after watching the Celtics sweep the Nets out of the postseason, our Chris ...

Tatum put the rest of the NBA on notice by dominating a series that pitted him against maybe the best scorer of the current generation. But going through the Nets might have provided the sort of jolt that this group needed to truly morph into title contenders. It ushered in a tumultuous offseason with Boston making rare changes to the coaching staff and front office. They didn’t tempt the basketball gods by seeking an easier path and instead made short work of two former champions in Round 1. During the two games in Brooklyn, Boston repeatedly stiff-armed all of the Nets’ charges, showing a resiliency and composure that we didn’t know existed with this team. Durant dribbled across midcourt while Steve Nash called for the stoppage but, instead of marching to Boston’s bench, Grant Williams raced back in front of Durant and ensured he wouldn't get off a no-stress jumper. I know he played the game and has been on championship teams, and you could tell. There was the frenetic final minute of Game 1 with Marcus Smart feeding Tatum for his spinning, buzzer-beating layup over Irving inside TD Garden. Boston rallied out of a 17-point hole in Game 2 then raced away at the finish line. All four of the Celtics’ Round 1 triumphs triggered the clutch criteria (score within five, final five minutes) and the Celtics absolutely dominated in those instances. Tatum plunked down first, last, and a security deposit to live in Durant’s airspace for the past nine days. Boston’s unblemished series triumph has to be extremely satisfying given the uncertainty that enveloped this team in the aftermath of Irving’s departure. So we took on that challenge and we knew it was going to be tough.

When Kyrie Irving comes back to TD Garden next year, presumably with the Nets, he might actually get his wish. Some Celtics fans will still mock and jeer ...

That they can win on the road like they did in Games 3 and 4 and that they can close out a series even after Tatum fouled out like they did Monday night. Instead, the Celtics leave confident that they can make a big play at the buzzer like they did in Game 1. The Nets’ window of dominating the Celtics is already slammed shut. The Celtics turned four games of unselfish basketball into a sweep of the Nets and Irving, one of the most self-important players in the NBA. Irving is no longer the boogeyman. Basketball media nationally and locally questioned the wisdom of seeking out a showdown with a Nets team with more talent than their No. 7 seed and two star players, who’d each won championships before. Irving, then like now, was a lightning rod for controversy, but he was the Celtics’ most talented and accomplished player.

The Celtics are onto the second round of the NBA playoffs after sweeping the Nets. Here's the latest on when they might face the Bucks or Bulls in Game 1 of ...

Chicago Bulls in the 3-6 first-round matchup, which Milwaukee currently leads 3-1. The Celtics completed their first-round sweep of the Nets on Monday night, defeating Brooklyn 116-112 in Game 4 at Barclays Center to earn a 4-0 series victory. The Boston Celtics have punched the first ticket to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Boston's stunning in-season improvement was validated with a sweep of Brooklyn. Could the Celtics' 18th NBA championship soon follow?

With the clock winding down in the second quarter, Tatum, reading a double team, whipped a pass to Grant Williams in the corner. “That’s the mentality that we have, and that’s the mentality that we’re going to keep.” They can defend anyone. Udoka likened the Smart experience to Popovich’s with Manu Ginobili, a free-wheeling guard who played a key role in four Spurs championships. I do feel like I'm one of the best players.” Entering the last year of his contract, Smart looked like a trade candidate. This was the ex-Gregg Popovich assistant who seemed to think he was Pop, a taskmaster without the resumé to back it up. They played games in November, when the Celtics were steamrolled by Atlanta, Brooklyn and San Antonio and called a players-only meeting before the team’s eighth game of the season. It was a one-point game with 90 seconds to play in the fourth. But Durant, who played a series-high 47 minutes, missed a free throw that would have kept the deficit at one with 22 seconds left, Al Horford tipped in a Marcus Smart miss and the Nets were headed into the offseason. But the season didn’t begin in January. It began in October, when Boston dropped its first two and was booed in its home opener. They beat Brooklyn a couple of times in February. They hammered Golden State and Denver by double digits in March. Since Jan. 1, the Celtics led the league in (deep breath) defensive rating, net rating scoring margin, opponent points and opponent field goal percentage, racking up a 34–12 record along the way. Give Brooklyn credit: Down 3–0, the Nets played like a team that wanted another trip to Boston. Durant, tired of playing facilitator, scored 39 points on 31 shots.

Jayson Tatum scored 29 points, Jaylen Brown had 22 and the Boston Celtics completed a four-game sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, becoming the first team to reach ...

The Nets were down only 45-44 with 3:29 to play in the second quarter. But he went to the bench with a fifth foul with 8:17 remaining and the Nets made a push that got them within three points about three minutes later. Irving made a 3-pointer and Durant scored to cut it to 109-108 with 1:28 remaining. The Celtics showed no fear of the Nets, who with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving didn't have the profile of the typical low seed. Tatum fouled out with the Celtics leading by six with 2:48 to play. Marcus Smart added 20 points and 11 assists for the No. 2-seeded Celtics, who made easy work of what was thought could be a tough series.

The early playoff exit was a stunning end to a season that began with championship dreams behind Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Nets’ brain trust has some work to do in the wake of a turbulent season that was also interrupted by a midseason trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, who acquired James Harden in exchange for a package that included Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and draft picks. Simmons watched the first three games of the series from the bench in street clothes. As a result, the Celtics could be even more aggressive about sticking multiple defenders on Durant whenever he touched the ball. The series itself was a swift descent into futility. It was a fitting finale to a disjointed season for the seventh-seeded Nets, who spent months cycling through a motley cast of characters. “The tough part is that I think we all grew a tremendous amount because of the adversity this year,” Nash said. The Nets, who had the second-highest payroll in the league this season, will try to recalibrate. And there were the team’s highly publicized absences. The Nets still had time for one last heave before halftime, and the inbounds pass went to Kyrie Irving with 2.1 seconds remaining. But rather than launch a shot from beyond half-court, he simply dropped the ball for a referee to retrieve as time elapsed. Another abbreviated postseason appearance ended on Monday when the Celtics defeated the Nets, 116-112, to complete a four-game sweep. Where was the desperation?

The Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics are facing off in New York at Barclays Center for Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Monday 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. For the game, the two teams have announced their starting lineups and final injury reports.

With shots from Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Brooklyn made it a one-point game with 1:28 remaining. However, a three-pointer from Jaylen Brown and free throws ...

We all continue to keep developing over the summer and see what happens." "He had to deal with so much stuff as a first-time coach: trades, injuries, COVID, just a lot of stuff he had to deal with. The Nets were without guard/forward Ben Simmons in the game. "I felt like I was letting the team down at a point when I wasn’t able to play. Durant finished with 39 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. With shots from Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Brooklyn made it a one-point game with 1:28 remaining.

The Boston Celtics didn't dodge the Nets and ended up with the sweep, taking Game 4 behind 29 from Jayson Tatum to take the series 4-0.

How do the Nets get younger, more athletic, and more defensive with the players around Durant and Irving? There are a lot of questions to answer for a front office and organization that has bent to the will of its stars for years. A savage round of postmortems come now for a Brooklyn team that was the betting favorite to win it all before the season started then became the only team not to even win a game in the first round. Then the Nets had no answers when they ran into another talented team — one who had put in the work and built good habits. There were flashes from the Nets and they made it tight down the stretch. The Celtics moved the ball all game long and trusted each other to make the right play. It was all too much for a Nets team that proved to be too top-heavy, not big or athletic enough, and lacked chemistry.

Here are the takeaways as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics took on the Nets in Game 4 of their first-round series on Monday.

5. With 22 seconds remaining and the Celtics nursing a three-point lead, Smart decided to aggressively try to pick Durant’s pocket, and he nearly pulled it off — he knocked the ball free in the back court and dove to try to steal it. “For him, it’s good to get his feet wet in a few games and that’s why it’s beneficial that he came back before the end of the series,” Udoka said. On the next possession, Durant hit a jumper that cut the lead to one. It wasn’t a foul, but they called it, and it worked out in our favor. Instead, Jaylen Brown finished a tough finger roll along the baseline and the Celtics defended hard down the stretch. But as we wrote yesterday: The Celtics sweeping the Nets was more about what the Celtics can do than what the Nets can’t. The Bucks and Sixers had no interest in facing the Nets for a reason. 3. The Celtics moved the ball typically well, trusting their role players to make threes. So we took on that challenge, and we knew it was going to be tough, and I think that was good for us.” The Celtics valued the 2-seed and were happy to pursue it for a reason. In the end, Celtics vs. “They’re just a better team,” Durant said. The lack of any form of wing depth on the defensive end hurt.

The Boston Celtics have clinched their spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals after their 116-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 of their ...

Smart fouls Durant in the back court, but remember, Boston is up 3. But Boston fought back for the win and did so as a team. In the grand scheme of things, Boston surviving the final 2:38 without Jayson Tatum doesn't change the magnitude of their victory. The Nets found Griffin too late, and they paid the price for it in this series. They may not sweep every round and they may not even reach the Finals. But what they did to a Nets team that was far better than it had any right to be considering its injuries was one of the more impressive feats we'll see this postseason. That's what happens when someone who's outside of your rotation becomes a key piece in the middle of a playoff series. They won the remainder of the series by seven. The Boston Celtics have clinched their spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals after their 116-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series. None of this is meant to undermine the Celtics. If anything, sweeping this specific Nets team in four close games is perhaps even more impressive than doing it in four blowouts. But before you fire off your jokes about the Nets getting swept, just keep in mind how close this series really was. There will be plenty of questions facing the Nets this offseason and it seems safe to say that they will have to deal with those questions much sooner than anyone had expected. Marcus Smart is the DPOY, but the man can ball on offense too.