Hours before the game even started, it was announced that both Dorian Finney-Smith and Ben Simmons would be listed as out, DFS due to an ankle sprain and Simmons being a late scratch due to a last-minute calf injury. Both players could have provided much needed on-ball defense against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who combined for 60 points, blowing out the Nets 139-114, their biggest loss of the season.
In the first half, like all other games this season, the Nets kept it close and competitive, with the score being 65-60 in favor of the Celtics at halftime. However, the second half is where the Nets lost control of this game, getting outscored by 20 points and completely unable to stop the Celtics, who were easily able to get to the rim and rain down 3s. Defensively, for the entirety of the game, the Nets struggled to contain Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, with Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton providing little resistance against the All-Star duo that was drafted using the Nets' first-round picks. Both players were able to easily blow by their primary defenders, combining for 26 points in the paint.
Despite the loss, there were some positives. Ziaire Williams, in his second start for the Nets in the absence of Dorian Finney-Smith, dropped a season-high 23 points on 8-14 FG, shooting 2-5 from 3PT. Early on, Williams was doing a phenomenal job at guarding both Brown and Tatum, utilizing his length and lateral quickness to force the Jays into difficult shots and turnovers. While his shot has been streaky, he’s now shooting a semi-respectable 32.5% from 3PT on the season, a slight improvement compared to the 30.7% from 3PT he shot last season, and hopefully, his shooting splits improve throughout the year.
Sophomore Jalen Wilson also showed positive flashes, scoring 11 points on 4-5 FG, weaponizing his physicality to bulldoze his way to the rim, finishing through strong defenders like Jaylen Brown and collapsing the defense to kick it out to open shooters. He finished the night with 4 assists in just 22 minutes.
This loss against the Celtics was the first time this season that the Nets legitimately got blown out, an all-too-familiar feeling from last season. You could tell that players had given up by the middle of the third quarter, something coach Jordi Fernandez noticed, emphasizing that the Nets looked defeated and that they have to do things the right way.
Claxton shared a similar sentiment, commenting that the Nets didn’t fight enough, and given his underwhelming performance on both ends, it is nice to see accountability from both players and coaches.
Ultimately, this loss does not sting as much as it would have in the past; the Nets’ intention is still to achieve a high lottery pick, and owning their own first-round pick in a generational draft makes these losses hurt less.
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