If something turned clear from the Nets’ 109-98 loss to the Boston Celtics of their first sport of Kevin Durant’s projected monthlong absence after spraining the MCL in his proper knee, it’s this:
If they play each sport the way in which they performed the Celtics, they are going to be simply tremendous till Durant returns from damage.
But they nonetheless have to tighten up in the event that they’re going to outlive a hellacious stretch that options 19 opponents jostling for playoff place of their subsequent 22 video games. After Sunday’s upcoming matchup towards the Oklahoma City Thunder and Tuesday’s subsequent sport towards the middling San Antonio Spurs, the Nets solely have another sport towards a non-playoff opponent (the robust and rugged Detroit Pistons) till March 5.
And but there’s cause for optimism based mostly solely on Brooklyn’s efficiency towards the Celtics on Thursday, albeit in defeat.
The Celtics confirmed precisely why they’re defending Eastern Conference champions holding onto the East’s No. 1 seed. Even with out Jaylen Brown, the second-most essential participant on a roster led by star ahead Jayson Tatum, Boston continued to fabricate high quality offense and lead with a defensive effort that held the Nets to simply 16 factors within the fourth quarter.
The Nets, nonetheless, weren’t far off.
It’s the silver lining of their first loss with out Durant, who may very well be out till after the Feb. 19 NBA All-Star break if he and the crew determine to take the cautious route. Between the victory over the Indiana Pacers with each rotation participant resting, and Thursday’s effort the place the wheels fell off within the fourth quarter, the Nets are in a significantly better place to outlive Durant’s absence than they had been this time final yr.
Last season’s nightmare nonetheless haunts the Nets to today, a lot that head coach Jacque Vaughn — who was an assistant on Steve Nash’s employees when Durant missed a month and a half of motion final season after an MCL sprain on his left knee — declined to handle all that went mistaken throughout the 11-game dropping streak that unraveled their season.
Instead, Vaughn mentioned the crew gained’t make any excuses for who’s not on the ground.
”You might say we’re [more] ready [than last season for Durant’s injury],” the pinnacle coach mentioned forward of tip-off on Thursday. “I think we have a good group, a group that’s ready for the challenge. I think the best thing about this group is we haven’t told the group to not use excuses. There’s no excuse tonight. We have able and capable bodies ready to play and compete, and we’ll keep it as simple as that.”
Yet as arduous because the Nets competed, they couldn’t kick it into one other gear within the fourth quarter — and it was probably the most evident space the crew missed its captain. What was only a two-point sport exiting the third quarter turned nearer to a blowout within the fourth, as “Let’s go, Celtics,” chants rained down from the Barclays Center stands.
Ben Simmons had as productive of a 3 quarter stretch because the crew might have hoped, creating three-point alternatives in transition to the tune of 13 assists to go along with 9 rebounds. While bringing the ball up the court docket on the ultimate possession of the primary quarter, he faked calling a play together with his proper arm within the air as if directing teammates the place to go, then rifled a go to Joe Harris, who was trailing in transition and knocked down a large open three throughout the break.
The situation with Simmons, nonetheless, fairly clearly turned his reluctance to shoot the basketball. He solely took three photographs, didn’t rating on the night time, and turned the ball over on two events the place teammates crashed the glass when he handed out of a shot.
Kyrie Irving completed with 24 factors on 24 shot makes an attempt, T.J. Warren added 20 off the bench, Harris completed with a season-high 18 factors and Seth Curry added 11 with the second unit.
It turned evident very early that Simmons’ historical past on the Philadelphia 76ers with Curry will play a vital function throughout this stretch with Durant out of the lineup.
Where Durant performed your complete first quarter of just about each sport this season, Vaughn subbed Irving out on the 4:16 mark and went with a lineup of Simmons and 4 shooters: Harris, Curry, Warren and Yuta Watanabe. Simmons and Curry typically performed a sport of cat and mouse with one another, threatening the lob or dump-off go to Simmons in decide and roll situations, which freed Curry up simply sufficient to get his shot off.
The Nets held Tatum to simply 20 factors on 22 shot makes an attempt, however couldn’t preserve 5 different Celtics gamers out of double determine shot makes an attempt.
It was an effort which may win video games towards different opponents that aren’t defending convention champions, however the Nets will all the time be measured towards the East’s elite, and of their first sport with out Durant, they fell brief.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com