Welcome back to Boston Kyrie Irving. Jayson Tatum had a career playoff high 50 points on Friday night, as the Boston Celtics got back into their first round playoff series with the Brookyln Nets with a 125-119 win at TD Garden in Boston. Brooklyn still leads the best of seven 2-1, and is Bostons first win over the Nets this season in seven attempts.
Brooklyn started the game on fire, taking it to Boston over the first 3:25 of the opening quarter for a 19-4 lead. Still trailing 32-23, the Celtics rattled off the final 10 points of the first 12 minutes helped by five points from Jayson Tatum and catapulted into the lead 33-32. The hosts led the entire second quarter, with the biggest advantage being 10 on a Tatum driving layup with 2:27 left. The 21 first half points from Tatum had Boston up 61-57 at the break.
Tatum continued his barrage in the third, scoring another 19 for his career playoff high. Irving, the former Celtic, had given Brooklyn their first lead since it was 32-30 when he knocked in a 16 foot jumper halfway through the period. Marcus Smart ignited a 24-6 run on a four point play after getting fouled by Irving, and the C’s took their biggest lead of the night at 17 and led 96-84 headed to the fourth. James Harden opened the final period with a three-pointer that cut it to nine, but Boston scored the next seven including a follow up dunk by Tristan Thompson on a Kemba Walker missed three-point attempt to increase it back to 16. A three-pointer from Irving snuck the Nets back within eight with still 7:26 left. They got within six on two Kevin Durant free throws with 4:43 to go, but an Evan Fournier three-pointer and a good Celtics defensive possession next time down led to a Walker jumper to push it back to 11. Irving brought Brooklyn within five with two from the charity stripe with just under a minute to play, but Tatum stuck a jumper 18 seconds later. Durant nailed a three-pointer to make it 123-119 with 21.5 seconds showing on the clock. The guests tried to foul, but Fournier found a wide open Grant Williams for a dunk to wrap up the win. It also ends a nine game playoff losing streak for the Celtics against the Nets.
Tatum added seven rebounds and two steals to his big night. He was 16-30 from the floor (5-11 three-pointers) and 13-15 from the foul line. Smart had 23 points, three rebounds, and six assists. Thompson was big in the game as well scoring 19 points and hauling in 13 rebounds for the double double (including 9 offensive rebounds). Fournier had his best game as a Celtic with 17 points and five rebounds. Robert Williams III left the game in the first quarter with a sprained ankle and didn’t return. Harden had 41 points in the loss for Brooklyn, adding seven rebounds and 10 assists. Durant had 39, with nine rebounds and four steals. Hearing the boos throughout the pre-game warmups and all 48 minutes whenever he touched the ball, Irving would finish with 16 points on just 6-17 shooting in his first return to Beantown in front of fans. Game Four is Sunday at 7 p.m. It will be the first game since March 8 last year in front of a full capacity arena at the Garden, as Massachusetts ends all COVID-19 restrictions on Saturday.
