The Celtics had the Nets on the rope leading 3-0, and despite the hysteria about the potential sweep, the men in Green knew it would be a tall task to knock out their opponent on the road. The Nets were feeling the ire of basketball analysts for getting outplayed in this series, but the reality was that the Celtics only won three games by 14 points. Despite the expectations that the Nets would fold quickly in Game 4, they traded blows with the Celtics. However, Boston made the right plays to finish-off the championship hopefuls in a hard fought contest. In this article, we discuss four takeaways from this game, and we cross enemy lines by looking at the questions facing the Nets organization.
1. Durant bounces back but Kyrie fails to step up-people were questioning whether Kevin Durant had suddenly lost his basketball powers and was no longer an elite player. Durant was averaging 22.0 points in this series, he looked tentative and allowed the Boston defense to restrict his impact on the game. In Game 4, Durant reminded the basketball world that he can still produce numbers against a tough defense. Durant finished with a game high 39 points, none assists, and seven rebounds. He attacked his defender quicker, made the right passes, and drained some tough shots. On the other hand, Kyrie Irving finished with 20 points but never imposed his will on the game. After scoring 39 points in Game 1, Irving never looked the same in this series and is part of the reason why the Nets are out of the playoffs.
2. Celtics dominate the paint and glass-the Celtics won this series in a sweep because they were the bigger and more athletic team. The Celtics outscored the Nets 44-32 in the paint and outrebounded the Nets 45-38. The game was clinched by an Al Horford offensive rebound and tip shot with 13.7 seconds. The Nets struggled to keep Andre Drummond in the lineup because of his defensive problems, and Blake Griffin brought energy to the team but struggled to play big minutes.
3. Hack-a-Claxton swung the contest- Nic Claxton scored 13 points and was 6 for 6 from the field with three blocks, two steals, and six rebounds but his free throw shooting hurt his team badly. Claxton missed his first 11 free throws in the game, and at one point Celtics’ Coach Ime Udoka had his players foul him to stop the Nets’ offensive rhythm. In a 4-point loss, if Nic was shooting at 50% from the free throw line, then the outcome could have swung to the Nets.
4. Close the series without Tatum-Jayson Tatum emerged as the best player in this series but in Game four he fouled out of the game with under 3 minutes left in the contest. It left Celtics fans wondering, can this team could close the deal on the road without their budding superstar? The team embraced the challenge with Marcus Smart making the right plays, Jaylen Brown making tough buckets, and grinding out the win. It showed that the team has the mettle to not fold without their best player in crunch time.
5. The uncertain future of the Nets- after being preseason favorites to win the title, the Nets’ season was filled with turmoil, and drama and ended with a crash landing out of the playoffs. The team has several questions to answer including: 1) Will Steve Nash be the coach beyond this season? 2) Can they trust Kyrie Irving to give him an extension despite his lack of availability? 3) Will Ben Simmonds return to form after protracted time off from the court due to his physical and mental health? 4) How do they improve the roster to become younger and more athletic despite facing a luxury tax bill? Only time will tell the answers to these questions and if this team will ever deliver a championship for the burrow in Brooklyn.