I don’t know what else there is to say when it comes to Jaylen Brown’s continued dominance as a scorer this season. After a slow first half Brown exploded for 17 points in the 3rd quarter, finishing with 29 points on 9-19 FG, 3-7 3PT, and 8-10 FT. He did have 8 turnovers in this game but that was a common theme from the Celtics tonight. If it wasn’t for his second half scoring, Boston would not have been able to keep pace with Brooklyn and might have ended up losing this game.
I wonder if the Celtics not playing him much in the first half was a sign of giving him rest. He has played every game this season and had a hamstring injury in the preseason so they might be giving him a little bit of a break as much as they can. When asked post-game about it, Brown was pretty blunt with his explanation: “I was just playing like sh*t in the first half.”
2. Pritchard’s Playground
Payton Pritchard has been great over the last few games and he continued his hot streak vs. the Nets. Pritchard had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds and added 5 assists on 6-16 FG and 5-12 3PT. He had a huge first half in this game with 17 points on 5-8 shooting from three and even though he had a slow shooting second half, he grabbed some huge rebounds that kept plays alive late in the game.
Over the last three games, Pritchard is really hitting his stride with averages of 25.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 51.1% FG, and 51.4% 3P in around 33 minutes per game. Moving to the point guard position has done wonders for him as he just looks so much more comfortable right now.
3. White’s Winning Ways
Derrick White did not have a great start to the season shooting the ball, but we saw a vintage 4th quarter masterclass. White was everywhere in this game as he finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He had 8 points in the 4th on 2 threes, drew a charge, and made a huge block on Michael Porter Jr. that resulted in the Nets going almost 7 minutes without scoring a point in the quarter.
Similarly to Pritchard, Derrick White has also had a promising last three games that makes me think he’s coming out of his shooting slump as well. If that’s the case, Boston’s chances at a top-6 seed in the East are not necessarily out of the picture.
4. Simons Shooting Slump Says Sayonara
After getting only 12 minutes and scoring 0 points in the Celtics win over the Clippers, Anfernee Simons had a huge bounce back performance. Simons played 26 minutes vs the Nets and had 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds on 3-4 FG and 2-3 3PT. This was a much needed scoring punch by Simons as 8 of his points came in the 2nd quarter and it really helped the Celtics offense keep up with the Nets. He also looked a lot more comfortable when it came to handling the ball, something he looked lost doing vs the Clippers. Overall a solid game that hopefully he can build upon in the future.
5. Minott’s Mighty Minutes
Josh Minott hasn’t had a huge impact on the Celtics in recent games. Jordan Walsh ended up taking over his starting spot and taking a lot of his minutes. In this game however, Walsh had to sit out with foul trouble early which gave Minott a chance to shine and he ran with the opportunity. He finished with 10 points on 3-3 from three-point range and a +15. His shooting came in clutch in the third quarter where he gave the Celtics a lead that they were able to keep for almost the rest of the game. I wonder if Joe Mazzulla will ride the hot hand and give him more minutes in their next matchup.
Sam Hauser is another player that has had fluctuating minutes this season as his three-point shot has been a little bit inconsistent to start the year. This game was a different story however, as Hauser finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals while being a team high +22 in 22 minutes. His biggest impact came in the 4th quarter where he made a couple huge defensive stops, hit a three, and made two really nice assists to Derrick White including one for a dagger three in the corner.
When asked about his thoughts on his minutes, Hauser had a great quote that seems to be a mantra of the team this year: “Try to be external, don’t be internal.” He explained that it basically means do what’s best for the team as whole and not worry about individual stats which is something Joe Mazzulla has preached to the team saying everyone is going to play this season and you have to be ready when your number is called.
7. Positive Paint Presence
The Celtics rebounding issues this season have been heavily documented but in this matchup, Boston was able to do a good job on the boards, winning the rebounding battle 49-39. Even though they lost the points in the paint battle 36-30 they did a good job defending the basket as the Nets shot 14-27 (52%) and in the paint as a whole Brooklyn shot 18-43 (42%). Although allowing 43 shots in the paint isn’t ideal, Boston was able to make up for it by shooting 45% from three as a team. Hopefully in their next matchup on Friday, they can force the Nets away from the basket.
One of the biggest negatives to come out of the Celtics win was the fact they turned the ball over 19 times. Boston may have lucked out in that department playing Brooklyn because turning the ball over that much will not lead to many wins.
This might be a New York problem. In two games in the Big Apple, Boston has turned the ball over more than they have vs. any other team in any other city. In their game vs the Knicks on October 24th, they had 15 turnovers, equaling 34 in their two games in New York this season.
I couldn’t find a good alliteration for this title, but I think it’s important to highlight that for the first time this season the Celtics have a record over .500. At 8-7 its not the best but it’s a step in the right direction as they move into 9th place in the Eastern Conference. Boston is now one of eleven teams in the East with a record over .500 and although its early, games like these in the beginning of the season could be the difference in making or missing the playoffs.
Sometimes one team just has another team’s number and that is the case with the Boston Celtics owning the Brooklyn Nets. In their last 20 games, including the playoffs, Boston has won 19 of their matchups vs. Brooklyn. The last time the Nets beat the Celtics was on March 3rd, 2023, which was their first game after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline and Mikal Bridges scored 38 points.
Some great moments in Celtics history have come vs. the Nets in recent years but my favorite has to be Jayson Tatum’s game winning layup in Game 1 of the first round in 2022. Boston has a chance to continue their ownership over Brooklyn on Friday November 21st at 7:30 pm in TD Garden as they face off in a NBA Cup matchup.
