3:30 PM EST, ABC – Line: Celtics -4.0, Over/Under: 224.0
A rematch from last year’s playoffs highlights today’s slate of games, as the Brooklyn Nets emerge fresh off their triumph in Tuesday’s play-in to battle arguably the hottest team in the National Basketball Association, the Boston Celtics, in Game One of their First Round Series from TD Garden in Boston Massachusetts. To say that this season has been eventful for the Nets (44-38, 7th in Eastern Conference) would be the grossest of understatements, for 2021-2022 has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for the preseason favorite to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. Indeed, Brooklyn was tabbed by many to win the championship, and why wouldn’t they given the volume of firepower on hand? The franchise assembled the NBA’s latest Big Three last season, teaming the likes of (All-NBA Forward) Kevin Durant (29.9 PTS, 51.8% FG, 38.3% 3FG, 91.0% FT, 7.4 REB, 6.4 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.9 BLK, 25.6 PER), (All-Star Guard) Kyrie Irving (27.4 PTS, 46.9% FG, 41.8% 3FG, 91.5% FT, 4.4 REB, 5.8 AST, 1.4 STL, 21.4 PER), and (All-NBA Guard) James Harden up to devastating (yet temporary) effect. Injuries to the latter two ultimately prevented them from advancing past the Eastern Semifinals last summer, while also playing a role in their inevitable breakup. Coming into this season, Irving’s status was constantly in question given New York City’s indoor mask mandate which prevented any unvaccinated players (including Kyrie) from playing in private indoor events within city limits, which of course comprises HALF of the team’s schedule. As a result, the seven-time All-Star missed the first THIRTY-FIVE games of the season, before essentially becoming a part-time player for the club, participating only in road games outside of NYC for roughly three months before said mandate was lifted on March 23rd. Unfortunately, Durant would be sidelined for six weeks with a sprained MCL (coinciding with a miserable 5-16 stretch) with his absence coupled with Irving’s ongoing drama proving too much for Harden to stomach, with the 2017-2018 MVP demanding to be traded, eventually parting ways with the Nets in a blockbuster deadline deal with the 76ers. And just like that, Brooklyn’s Big Three swiftly became the greatest team that never was, with that aforementioned triumvirate starting only TWO games together this year. With that said, maybe it was for the best that they jettisoned the bearded one, for now that Durant has returned to health and Irving is available wherever the games are held, this is a team that has appeared to have found their rhythm; (Had Coach) Steve Nash’s troops finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak in which they utterly HAMMERED the opposition in averaging 120.0 points on 49.7% shooting from the field, including 37.1% from beyond the arc, while netting 20.3-of-22.8 free-throws (89.0%), and dishing out 27.5 assists in comparison to committing 14.8 turnovers. Furthermore, their defense has improved dramatically during this late run, yielding only 109.0 points on 43.2% shooting overall and 33.1% from downtown, while manhandling their counterparts on the glass (+11.2). What better way to head into the play-in tournament, as the Nets hosted the upstart Cavaliers for the second time in four days, ousting them in a 115-108 victory. Indeed, Brooklyn was ALL business at the start of this one, setting the tone early with a 40-20 first quarter in which they shot an overwhelming 17-of-24 from the floor (70.8%), including 4-of-6 from three (66.7%), with eleven assists opposed to one turnover, while the visitors could manage only 7-of-20 shooting (35.0%) and 1-of-8 from the perimeter (12.5%). Irving dropped eleven of his game-high thirty-four points in the period, finishing the night on a torrid 12-of-15 shooting (80.0%), while also logging a dozen assists. Durant totaled twenty-five points when it was all said and done on 9-of-16 shooting (56.3%), adding another eleven assists to the effort, while the supporting cast also performed admirably; (versatile Swingman) Bruce Brown (9.0 PTS, 50.6% FG, 40.4% 3FG, 75.8% FT, 4.8 REB, 2.1 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.7 BLK, 15.0 PER) posted eighteen points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, while (veteran Center) Andre Drummond (11.8 PTS, 61.0% FG, 53.7% FT, 10.3 REB, 1.4 AST, 0.9 STL, 1.0 BLK, 23.8 PER), who arrived as part of the Harden deal, made his presence felt in the paint with sixteen points and eight rebounds, while (backup Center) Nicolas Claxton (8.7 PTS, 674% FG, 58.1% FT, 5.6 REB, 0.9 AST, 0.5 STL, 1.1 BLK, 18.6 PER) chipped in with thirteen points and nine rebounds off the bench. Though they were outscored 60-50 in the paint, the hosts made up for it in transition (14-11) and in points off turnovers (24-10). Now heading into this series against the Celtics, whom they will find are very different from the side that they ran off the hardwood in five games last summer (more on them shortly), the Nets are going to have to find a way to contend with their lack of size in this particular matchup, particularly when they find themselves on the defensive end of the court. Brooklyn is 1-3 in four meetings with Boston this season, in which they were outscored by 11.3 points per game, with their defensive effort leaving much to be desired; Nash’s charges allowed a whopping 121.3 points in those affairs on 48.5% shooting from the field, including 35.6% from downtown, with 27.5 assists in comparison to forcing 11.8 turnovers. Granted, health has certainly played a factor here, for Irving played in only ONE of these meetings, while Durant missed two of them, with Harden omitted from the latter three contests. In their latest encounter, a 126-120 affair back in early March, we saw the closest thing to what these Nets should like in this series; Durant went off for thirty-seven points, while Irving added nineteen in a game in which Nash’s rotation appeared to be as settled as ever since Harden departure. But wait, folks, there’s more: news dropped earlier in the week in regard to the biggest return from that trade, as (versatile Guard) Ben Simmons announced that he should be ready to make his (long-awaited) debut in Games Three or Four. Of course, Simmons hasn’t played a single minute of action this season, with his refusal to suit up for the Sixers following a rather dreadful showing in last summer’s playoffs eventually setting the table for the Harden blockbuster. At this point, we HIGHLY doubt that Simmons is going to feature in this series, let alone swing its outcome, though someone with his unique size and skillset would be a welcome addition to Nash’s rotation.
Meanwhile, it certainly appears that the Celtics (51-31, 2nd in Eastern Conference) have ACED their soft rebuild, for you would be hard-pressed to find a hotter team over the last four months, particularly in the East. So, what in the name of Red Auerbach has gotten into Boston, you ask? Well, after a disappointing 36-36 finish last season culminated in that aforementioned drubbing at the hands of Brooklyn last summer, the franchise underwent a rather significant overhaul, with (longtime Basketball Czar) Danny Ainge stepping down from his post, with Brad Stevens replacing him in that capacity. Of course, this meant that the 45-year-old would also be stepping down as Head Coach, and in turn appointing his successor, which after a lengthy search turned out to be Ime Udoka, who arrived after years of leaning under the venerable Gregg Popovich and serving as the aforementioned Nash’s chief lieutenant last year in the Big Apple. While the hire was applauded around the league, Udoka’s tenure did not start smoothly; the Celtics were a middling 17-19 by the end of the December, with the rotation unsettled and rumors of infighting between the club’s cornerstones, (All-Star Swingmen) Jayson Tatum (26.9 PTS, 45.3% FG, 35.3% 3FG, 85.3% FT, 8.0 REB, 4.4 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.6 BLK, 21.8 PER) and Jaylen Brown (23.6 PTS, 47.3% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 75.8% FT, 6.1 REB, 3.5 AST, 1.1 STL, 18.9 PER). However, everything changed as the calendar transitioned to 2022, as Boston went on an absolute tear, winning THIRTY-FOUR of their final forty-six games. During this stretch, they’ve evolved into a DOMINANT defensive force, relegating opponents to a scant 102.5 points per game on 42.9% shooting from the field, including 33.5% from beyond the arc, and 21.5 assists in comparison to forcing 12.8 turnovers, all the while owning a +3.8 advantage on the glass. And this is where they’ve changed the most, for Boston seriously lacked size and length in the frontcourt last season but improved greatly in this department throughout the term. First and foremost, Stevens brought (veteran Forward) Al Horford (10.2 PTS, 46.7% FG, 33.6% 3FG, 84.2% FT, 7.7 REB, 3.4 AST, 0.7 STL, 1.3 BLK, 16.7 PER) back to the franchise that featured prominently for from 2016-2019, with his intelligence and positioning on both ends of the hardwood paying rich dividends. Stevens also brought back another big man, acquiring Daniel Theis (7.9 PTS, 59.8% FG, 35.7% 3FG, 68.8% FT, 4.7 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.7 BLK, 17.0 PER) in a trade with the Bulls, providing the rotation with another heady veteran who fits the system and is familiar with the personnel. Furthermore, the return of these two wise men helped facilitate the growth of (emerging Center) Robert Williams (10.0 PTS, 73.6% FG, 72.2% FT, 9.6 REB, 2.0 AST, 0.9 STL, 2.2 BLK, 22.1 PER), who has flourished this season, posting career-highs in a slew of categories including points (10.0), field goal percentage (73.6%), rebounds (9.6), assists (2.0), steals (0.9), blocks (2.2), and PER (22.1). Stevens also acquired the services of (versatile Guard) Derrick White (11.0 PTS, 40.9% FG, 30.6% 3FG, 85.3% FT, 3.4 REB, 3.5 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.6 BLK, 12.9 PER) in a deal with the Spurs, adding a tall, long Guard who can defend multiple positions while also adding another playmaker to the backcourt. Credit to Udoka for putting it altogether, for this group complements each other perfectly with the results reflecting that harmony. During this aforementioned stretch, his charges are besting the opposition by an average of 12.2 points per contest, with a whopping SIXTEEN outings decided by twenty or more points. Another major piece of this puzzle has been the continued ascension of Tatum, who has taken yet another leap in this, his fifth season in the NBA. The 23-year-old took a major star turn during the Bubble less than two years ago, but his progression was stalled last year due to a lengthy bout with COVID-19. This season there have been NO complications, as the three-time All-Star has really fleshed out his game; always a natural scorer, Tatum has logged career-highs in points (26.9) and two-point percentage (52.4%), while further pushing his limits in rebounding (8.0) and assists (4.4). Furthermore, since the turn of the new year he has boosted those numbers to 27.9 points on 48.2% shooting, including 37.2% from downtown, while dishing out 4.9 dimes to boot. And if there is anyone that is eager to see Brooklyn in these playoffs, it’s Tatum, who despite exploding for 122 points over the final three games of last summer’s encounter with the Nets, couldn’t keep his side from being handed a gentleman’s sweep. In four meetings this season, he has averaged 29.5 points on 48.1% shooting, including 38.5% from three, along with 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, erupting for a career high FIFTY-FOUR points in a 126-120 triumph at the Garden back on March 6th. Coming into this series, the biggest question revolving around the Celtics is the health of the aforementioned Williams, who missed the final seven games of the regular season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Udoka has stated that the 24-year-old has progressed to shooting drills and other individual activities, though he’s not expected to return in this series unless these teams push it to six or seven games. Needless to say, the absence of Williams alters Boston on both ends of the court, with his rebounding and rim protection and ability to switch onto smaller defenders a major plus for the Celtics.