The margin for error in opposition to good groups is slim.
There isn’t any margin for error in opposition to nice groups.
Kevin Durant rapidly famous that whereas the Nets have turned a nook within the win column, profitable 4 video games in a row and 7 of their final 9 after beginning the season 2-6, they’d achieved so largely in opposition to center of the pack competitors.
The Trail Blazers with out Damian Lillard. The Grizzlies with out Ja Morant. The Magic, Wizards and the Raptors twice.
The Nets have been anticipated to win these video games. Sunday night’s 103-92 loss to the Celtics posed a special problem.
Boston is way from the center. They are an equalizer; the measure by which fringe contenders gauge their championship legitimacy. They are the identical group that swept the Nets out of the primary spherical of the playoffs final season, the identical group that added to a bunch that made the NBA Finals earlier than blowing a 2-0 sequence lead over the Golden State Warriors.
If the Nets have been going to increase their profitable streak on the expense of these Celtics, they wanted to play as near an ideal recreation as doable. That meant minimizing errors, retaining the rebound margin tight, taking part in selfless basketball and residing with the outcomes.
More importantly, they wanted to string collectively 48 minutes of high quality basketball. On Sunday, they clocked nearer to 42.
“We’re accomplishing some things, figuring out some units, figuring out we can play small and big like we did tonight,” mentioned head coach Jacque Vaughn. “We can defend, as we did in the third quarter and now can we consistently do it. Good for us to take a look at what the recipe is and now can we continue to produce that recipe over and over again.”
The Nets performed a promising basketball recreation. They jumped out to an 11-2 lead. They pressured the Celtics into a number of offensive actions. They regarded, at instances, like one of many hottest groups in all of basketball.
But there have been too many chilly spells. Too many intervals of careless play, primarily for Durant, who turned the ball over eight instances. There wasn’t sufficient consideration paid to Jaylen Brown. While Jayson Tatum began the sport chilly, Brown hit 5 threes within the first quarter and completed the sport with 34 factors.
Kyrie Irving didn’t produce at a excessive sufficient degree, capturing simply 7-of-21 for 18 factors. Only three Nets scored off the bench. Durant put up a group excessive 31 factors, however the giveaways undermined his evening.
“They’re a big team, they shoot the ball well, they got good length, and so you got to match that if you want to be able to compete,” Durant mentioned. “We don’t have a big margin for error. … They had 13 points in the third and were still in good shape. You make up for that with your shooting and your length and they got a lot over there.”
There have been variables to account for: No Marcus Smart or Robert Williams for Boston, and no Ben Simmons, Yuta Watanabe or Edmond Sumner in Brooklyn.
Both groups caught to their manufacturers of basketball, although the Nets play drastically totally different when Simmons is on the ground.
The Nets have confirmed they’ll beat the great groups, however to turn into a championship group, they’ll need to deal with the cream of the crop. There’s proof suggesting they’ll get there by the top of the season, however in opposition to one of many equalizers in all of basketball, Brooklyn got here up quick.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com