The Boston Celtics visited the struggling Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night in the first of four meetings between the two teams. In a game that was close for the first three quarters, Derrick White turned in a classic
performance for the road team in the fourth quarter as Boston move to 8-7 on the season with a 113-99 victory. Jaylen Brown had 29 points to lead the team in scoring, Pritchard had 22 points, but it was Derrick White who stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
Boston started the same five as the past few games with Walsh alongside Pritchard, Queta, White and Brown. Jaylen Brown hit a pair of jumpers to start the game as he continues to be exceptional in the mid-range this season. Nic Claxton and Queta got tangled under the basket early and then Clowney levelled Queta on a screen outside the three-point area. Noah Clowney hit back-to-back triples as the Nets went up 10-4 at the nine minute mark, forcing Joe Mazzulla to call a quick timeout.
Nets Rookie point guard Egor Demin hit on his first three from the corner out of the timeout after Pritchard missed a heat check wide by two feet. The Nets came out of the change rooms fired up to start and were the more forceful of the two teams early in the first quarter. Drake Powell was first off the bench for the home team, whilst Simons and Hauser saw early minutes for the Celtics in the green road uniforms.
Payton Pritchard converted on a deep triple with the shot clock expiring to get the Nets lead back to 7 points, 21-14. Last year’s sixth man of the year hit his third three-pointer to pace Boston with 9 points after one quarter. Hauser who misfired early with his shot, hit his first three-pointer after missing his first two attempts. Boston ended the quarter on a 7-0 run to tie the ball game 29-29.
Baylor Scheierman got the nod to start the second and made an instant impact assisting to Minott for his first score of the night. Scheierman drilled a triple in front of the C’s bench as they went up 37-34. Jaylen Brown returned to the court and immendiately drove to the basket after just playing 6 minutes to start the contest. Brown came into the game ranked 12th in the league in scoring, with 27.4ppg on an efficient 50.5% from the field.
Derrick White finally got on the scoreboard at the 5 and a half minute mark of the second quarter as Boston kept a narrow lead 46-43. Pritchard kept things rolling for the road team hitting his fourth triple in rhythm. The Nets got some good minutes Porter Jr and Clowney as both teams traded baskets to round out the first half. Pritchard was red hot in the first half scoring 17 points with five three-pointers as Boston led the game 62-61 at the half.
Brooklyn opened the scoring to start the second half and retook the lead as Boston registered their 13th turnover of the game after a sloppy start. Jordan Walsh picked up his fourth foul and immediately was subbed out for former TWolve Josh Minott. A few plays later Queta also logged his fourth personal as Joe Mazzulla turned to Luka Garza earlier than normal.
Derrick White was everywhere to start the second as he had 2 crafty steals and a floating 2 pointer spearheading a 10-2 Boston run. Jaylen Brown scored his first three-pointer of the night, his twelfth point in 14 minutes of action as the C’s went by 10 points, 75-65. With Queta in foul trouble Xavier Tillman saw his first minutes since the Utah game on November 3rd. Boston was keeping the door ajar for Brooklyn as they had 16 turnovers in the game with four minutes to go in the third quarter.
Boston struggled to convert anything for 2 and a half minutes as Brooklyn cut into the Celtics lead, 80-75. JB converted six straight free throws on multiple drives as the quarter expired. Brown had an exceptional quarter with 17 points in the third quarter as Boston held a slim margin 89-85 at the end of three.
Both teams went scoreless for the first 2 minutes of the fourth quarter before Scheierman fouled Ziaire Williams on a jumper. The Celtics were ICE cold to start the fourth quarter, subjecting Celtic fans to a 4-minute scoring drought stretch, as Brooklyn retook the lead at the 8 minute mark 90-89. A Neemias Queta drive and dunk in the lane got Boston going as they reeled of 8 straight points of their own to race back into the lead 97-90.
Derrick White went into takeover mode to finish the fourth quarter, drawing fouls, blocking shots and draining corner triples as the Celtics would do enough to hang on in Brooklyn. Boston next face these same Nets at Home in the NBA CUP on Friday.
