Celtics Bring Defensive Fight to Brooklyn in Game 1
Slowing down the Brooklyn Nets' record-setting offense is the toughest task any defense will face in the 2021 NBA playoffs. The Boston Celtics got their first crack on Saturday night, and despite a 104–93 loss, stood their ground in Barclays Center Court and did the job.
Boston's defense came out of the gate playing on a string, as it limited the Nets to 47 points in the 1st half, including just 16 during the first quarter. This was quite an achievement in itself considering how Brooklyn recorded the most offensive ratings (118.3) in NBA history during the regular season.
The Celtics took a 53–47 lead at the break, but then Brooklyn took control in the third quarter. The point was not that Boston's defense faltered much; This was more so as its offense stagnated, as it entered back-to-back 20-point quarters in the second half.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens noted after the game that his team would have to do some work on the offensive side of the ball. But defensively, they could not play much better.
Stevens said, "I think the biggest key today is we put them at 104, & I know they missed a few chances, but our guys really got the watch." "I think what we said all week would not be best enough to score in the 90s. And we have to do a better job of attacking them with all the switching & being a little bit more objective than that ... but our fight. We were right, our competition was right, our focus was defensively for the most part.
The Celtics forced Brooklyn to one of its worst shooting performances of the season, as it dropped just 41.7 percent of its shots from the field. Kyrie Irving was the only starter in the Nets who shot above 40 percent, as he connected on the field at 11-of-20. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant sub-par 10 out of 25 and James Harden averaged 5 out of 13.
Robert Williams was the main reason for Brooklyn's clash as he entered the Celtics playoff record of nine blocked shots in just 23 minutes of action, just one block and one rebound shy of the triple-double.
"He's getting shifty every time we drive," said Irving, a former Celtics teammate from Williams. "His timing is amazing. It's great to see a big player active in our game, and he challenges you to the rim every time. So this is going to test our IQ for the rest of these games."
Certainly, the Nets will now try to change their methods of attack as they move forward, realizing how big an impact Williams can make. And Williams understands that this will happen when he is ready for Game 2.
"We'll have to play these guys multiple times," the third-year big man said. "They pick up stuff as well as we pick up stuff. Sometimes you have to adjust."
But where the Celtics need to make most of their adjustments is on the offensive end. According to Marcus Smart, this means playing more like they did at the beginning of the game.
"We have to carry the ball that we were in the first half that gave us an edge," said Smart, whose team finished with a shooting clip just 36.9 percent from the field. "We just have to keep playing. We have to be strategic and optimistic on fast breaks and transitions. And you have to keep them working on both ends of the floor. They're going down and put some hard shots on the offensive end, You have to make it even harder for them on the defensive end. "
Although Smart "loved" Boston's defensive aggression, the loss left a sour taste in his mouth, noting how he was hoping to "get in and steal a road win" off the bat. Instead, the C's aim to do so in Game 2, and they plan to return to Barclays with a vengeance.
"When you get hit in the mouth, you fight back," Smart said. "So we plan to fight back."