Late Surge Propels Celtics Past the Nets

Leading by just two points going into the fourth quarter, Boston opened the fourth with an 8-2 surge and never looked back in racking up their fifth straight win.

BROOKLYN, NY – Games between teams at the top of the conference are supposed to be regular season litmus tests, a way to see how the best of the best stack up against each other before the games truly matter. 

But with key performers out for both teams - Boston was without Jaylen Brown and Al Horford while the Nets were without Kevin Durant - team depth would be a deciding factor which was among the keys to Boston pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 109-98 win.

The game had been a single-digit affair until the fourth quarter, which is when Boston’s defense clamped down and the offense start clicking like it had failed to do in the three previous quarters.

An 8-2 spurt to start the quarter ballooned into a double-digit lead that the Nets were never able to recover from.

Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds as Boston (31-12) put a little more distance between itself and second-place Brooklyn (27-14), doing so by extending their winning streak to five straight.

STARS

Jayson Tatum: Like Irving, Tatum was also playing without his high-scoring partner (Jaylen Brown) on the floor. And like Irving, Tatum delivered a strong scoring performance. He would lead the Celtics with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds to go with five assists.

Kyrie Irving: Without Kevin Durant, Irving has played at a near-MVP level. Thursday’s game was yet another impressive showing for Irving. He led the Nets with 24 points and six assists.

STUDS

Luke Kornet: We’re finally starting to see Luke Kornet do the things that most thought justified his presence on the roster. The 7-foot big man is a shooter in every sense of the word and for the most part, has not looked for his shot much as a Celtic. That’s starting to change a bit. Kornet was indeed looking to score more on Thursday, with seven of his 11 points coming in the first quarter on Thursday.  

T.J. Warren: The T.J. Warren rehabilitation tour continues. After missing most or all of the previous two seasons, Warren is rounding into the shot-making talent he displayed prior to a series of injuries. On Thursday, Warren came off the Brooklyn bench to score 20 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the field.

Marcus Smart: The reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year returned after missing the previous two games with a bruised left knee injury. For most of the game (offensively at least), it was clear that Smart’s shot was uh, a bit rustier than usual. But after missing his first six shots from the field, Smart made four of his next six and finished the game with a double-double of 16 points and 10 assists along with six rebounds.

Derrick White: For most of this season, Derrick White has been a feast-or-famine shot-maker for the Celtics. He was the former on Thursday, scoring 15 points which included 4-for-7 on 3’s, to go with seven rebounds.

DUDS 

Ben Simmons: The playmaking and rebounding skills will keep him in the league. But the fear he seems to play with whenever he’s in a position to score is sad. This was yet another game in which Simmons literally provided nothing to the game as a scorer. His near double-double of 13 rebounds and nine assists was good. But without Kevin Durant on the floor because of an injury, they need everyone in uniform to chip in and score the ball.

Celtics’ transition defense: Brooklyn really hurt the Celtics in their ability to attack Boston off of defensive rebounds and turnovers. For the game, Brooklyn scored 24 fast-break points compared to Boston’s 10.