Halftime Hot Takes: The Celtics seem to care about this game against Brooklyn just as much as the rest of us

By way of two quarters, the primary Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets assembly of the season hasn’t panned out the best way many would’ve anticipated. The Nets led for your complete half however Boston managed to chop it down to only two earlier than the halftime buzzer.

Now, prepare for some Halftime Sizzling Takes, buddy.

Photograph by Streeter Lecka/Getty Photos

I’ve seen higher begins

Hear, I perceive that it isn’t fairly as straightforward to stand up for a sport in opposition to the Nets in comparison with one in opposition to the Golden State Warriors. However falling behind 12-0 to a workforce that, earlier than the season, was a high contender to land Cooper Flagg (who I hear truly isn’t that good, it will be a attain if anybody picked him earlier than, let’s say, choose 30), is unacceptable.

Brooklyn is a workforce that’s constructed an identification for itself by enjoying gritty basketball. Giving them confidence proper off the rip isn’t going to make the night time a straightforward one.

If I needed to pinpoint the problem, I might say it has one thing to do with carrying “assertion version” black jerseys at dwelling, as an alternative of conventional dwelling whites.

I’ve to present credit score the place credit score is due, although. The Celtics reduce the Nets’ result in simply 4 by the tip of the primary quarter. That’s a championship stage response.

Jayson Tatum may need Corridor-of-Fame “Nook Specialist”

A big a part of Boston’s first-quarter push was Jayson Tatum’s 11 early factors. Of these 11 factors, 9 got here off of catch-and-shoot threes from the left nook. All three of the makes had been tremendous clear appears to be like, and JT didn’t even should work for them.

The extra threes we see Tatum take off of the catch, the higher (though the numbers this yr would let you know in any other case). These are pictures that sometimes will come throughout the circulation of an offensive possession, quite than having to be created by the person himself.

Nearly anybody who has watched the Cs will let you know that they’re at their finest when the ball is popping round, quite than when it’s sticking.

Final season, it was fairly uncommon to see Tatum getting appears to be like from deep until it was off of the dribble. This yr, it appears like Joe Mazzulla has made it an emphasis to have him enjoying with out the ball on some possessions.

The Nets should not a tanking workforce

This is not essentially a take that’s particular to this single half of basketball, however it’s clear that the Nets should not a workforce in tank mode. They got here into Friday’s sport with a report of 4-4 and it’s not a thriller to why.

Have they got a ton of top-end expertise?

No.

However these guys play laborious.

They’ve placed on one of many higher defensive shows in opposition to the Cs to date this season, holding them to only 49 factors on the break.

On high of that, they induced a number of tie-ups, after diving on the ground after free balls.

This was a big-time “earn my respect” half from them, for positive.