Putting it in Neutral
Jayson Tatum netted 39 points and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combine for 32, the result, Boston goes up 3-0 on a Brooklyn team that is still searching for any sort of answer. The Nets are like a six-year-old in a mall looking for their mom, as they just simply can't find her no matter how hard they look. Brooklyn came out of the gate strong, but the Celtics took control with their physicality on the defensive end of the floor. With Williams III back in the fold for Boston now, the Celtics essentially will always have five quality defenders on the floor at all times. The Nets had to rely on Bruce Brown for the majority of their scoring, but it just simply was not enough as the Celtics continued to have an answer every time Brooklyn tried to make a run. Just when the momentum was thought to be shifting, Boston put together a scoring run fueled by unselfishness and elite playmakers.
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Following the match, head coach Ime Udoka spoke on the outing, stating, "We got some favorable matchups...turnovers, we created a ton of turnovers...and a large part of that was in the fourth quarter. They played some different lineups, and we could exploit a few things as far as that. Credit to them, they kept battling back. I like the way we guarded overall, other than those late threes...our activity is great, just like we've done all series, we want to have bodies in front of bodies and be really physical, and try to get in those passing lanes...37 points on 21 turnovers, that kind of tells the tale of the game, especially late."
Boston is a team that is full of length and has the ability to switch everything with all the personnel on the floor. Getting into the airspace of Irving, and Durant has been a priority during this series. The two-time Finals MVP looked more frustrated than ever before as he struggled to get to his spot when the team needed him the most. This series is demonstrating the changing of the guard in the NBA. Durant scored his lowest point total since 2017 when he scored 16 and shot 40% from the field against the Spurs in a Warriors uniform. On the other hand, Tatum is quietly becoming a top-level superstar in front of a national audience.
His play on the defensive end may be even better than his offensive production this series. Tatum was scrappy, always looking for the right time to pounce on a mistake. He put up a career-high in steals at six at the Barclays Center on Saturday night. The 24-year-old is just getting started in the NBA as he continues to move up the NBA hierarchy. Through relentless defense against Durant and his clutch shot-making, the Celtics are now just one win away from sending the Nets packing into the offseason. Tatum's versatility on the offensive end of the floor makes Boston one of the most unpredictable teams in the halfcourt. He knows when to get rid of the ball and when to take on his one-on-one matchup. This is only Tatum at the age of 24, the question must be asked, what can he do as he continues to mature in this league?
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Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams once again came up huge for Boston during stretches where it desperately needed a spark to ignite the fire back into the team. Both players only combined for 17 points, but Pritchard's ability to create his own shot off the dribble put Steve Nash in no man's land, just wondering what he can do to supplement what this Celtics team is doing. Williams did all the little things for Boston, grabbing a team-high three offensive rebounds, and playing some elite defense against some of Brooklyn's top shot-makers.
It was the first time since March 27th that Robert Williams III donned a Celtics uniform. While the big man only played 16 minutes in the ball game as he began to recover from his injury, he made his presence known in a short amount of time. Blocking Drummond at the rim, and catching two lobs, one that counted and one that did not. After just three and a half weeks out off the floor, Williams III did not miss a beat. His leaping ability and effectiveness on the defensive end make it look like Williams III has been playing the entire series. With the former Texas A&M product back on the floor, this Boston team is as dangerous as ever with its eyes on a deep postseason run.
A lot of the criticism for the Nets is going to fall on Steve Nash and his inability to make any sort of changes to give the Celtics a new look. In reality, Nash does not have much to counter what Udoka has in his hand. The Nets are not deep on the bench and have players like Claxton or Drummond that cannot play on both ends of the floor against a team that moves the ball as well as the Celtics. If Nash does get relieved from his duties as a head coach after this season, he should look back with no regrets. He tried to play Blake Griffin, who worked on the offensive end, but on the other end of the floor, he was getting exposed on mismatches. Nash's hand is like a two-pair if basketball was like poker, while Udoka has a full house at his disposal.
If this series has not told the Nets anything, it is that it needs a legit number five in its starting lineup. Drummond continues to get targeted each time he makes an appearance on the floor. The frontcourt for Brooklyn has no solutions for the toughness and ruthlessness of Horford, Theis, Williams, and Williams III. Some of the Nets' perimeter players stepped up like Patty Mills and Bruce Brown, but for Brooklyn to match up with the Celtics, it needs someone that can hold its own in the painted area. It is three straight games now that Boston has outscored the Nets in the paint. No matter who Nash puts in there, it will always be a mismatch for the Celtics not only on the offensive end but on the defensive end as well.
Heading into Game 4 of this series, Brooklyn looks almost defeated following a loss at home. Nash and the coaching staff played the third game of the series as a Game 7, and it just did not work out. With the way this Boston team is currently playing, there is no indication that Game 4 is going to be anything different than the first three. Ben Simmons was expected to play a part in potentially the final game of the season for the Nets since being traded mid-season in a deal that moved James Harden to the 76ers. At this point, Simmons will have to be other-worldly for Brooklyn to get itself back into this series, but he opted to take a seat for yet another game.
Tatum and Brown are playing at a whole different level than everyone else on the floor right now. Whatever the Nets throw at them, the two superstars always have an answer. Credit to the Nets for continuing to fight back, but against the Celtics, a team has to play a full game in order to beat them. Brooklyn does not have the depth to win a long series like this against a team that just beats down on you constantly. Durant and Irving are forced to play excessive minutes because if they don't, the Celtics will blow the Nets out of the gym. After escaping a poor performance in Game 1, Boston has reverted back to the way it played in order to get in this position. A style that is defined by constantly making the opposition more uncomfortable than ever felt before.
