In a 116-112, the Boston Celtics are the first team to win a seat in the NBA Playoffs, defeating the Brooklyn Nets in a second round.
Kevin Durant started firing early after a terrible first three games of the series, scoring 20 in the first half, as he grew loose from the perimeter and the midrange, attempting his best to keep the Nets firmly attached.
KD has 7 of the Nets 12 points early in Q1 presented by Google Pixel on TNT
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Grant Williams is set to finish the first half, according to Tatum! presented on TNT by Google Pixel
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After the first quarter, Boston still had a 30-26 lead, mostly due to getting Brooklyn in early foul trouble and boarding to the free throw line. In the second, the Celtics extended their lead by more conventional means, resulting in Jayson Tatum again stepping up to lead the charge.
In Q2, Jayson Tatum is heating up.
Google Pixel has presented three straight baskets for JT on TNT.
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Brooklyn would have cut that down to as few as two, but as a result of the Nets' continued to gain positive momentum, the Celtics had the choice. At the end of the first half, Grant Williams was left wide open by Kyrie Irving to push Boston's lead back to eight at the break.
Grant Williams is on the verge of finishing the first half, according to Tatum! presented on TNT by Google Pixel
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The Celtics improved their lead in the third quarter, pushing it to up to 15 points, with 36.8 to play in the third quarter, according to Jayson Tatum once again, who is seemingly unanswered.
Jayson Tatum (24 PTS) is getting started, and he'll have 12 points in the third quarter!
Google Pixel's low-post paper on TNT has been presented.
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Tatum scored his fifth foul on a charge from Blake Griffin that forced him to the bench, allowing the Celtics to keep up their star out, allowing the Nets to go on a run that reduced the Boston lead to just three minutes, with only six minutes left remaining, as Durant and Seth Curry kept their strong nights going offensively, and Goran Dragic injected some help into the Nets.
KD has broken a 9-0 run to make it a six-point game
Google Pixel still has 10 mins on TNT for BOS 90 | BKN 84Q4.
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Google Pixel has lowered Seth Curry's time to 23 PTS and 5 3PM.
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Off-site and in full exploitation
Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets)
Tatum was left out with 2:48 seconds to go on an extreme offensive foul, trying to get an inbound against Goran Dragic.
Jayson Tatum has just been chastised with 2:45 left.
Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)
With 1:30 to play on a Kevin Durant floater, the Nets would quickly profit going on a little run to cut the Boston lead to just one.
KD MAKES IT A 1 POINT GAME presented on TNT by Google Pixel
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On the other end, Jaylen Brown stepped up with the solution, pushing the Boston lead back to three with a tough take (and a long-distance return to himself) to set up a layup.
BUCKET IN REAL TIME
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After Marcus Smart fouled Kevin Durant in an attempt to get a steal, Durant split the free throws to put the Celtics two games ahead. Brooklyn didn't foul immediately and Al Horford put the dagger in with a putback to put Boston up four with under 14 seconds to go.
HORFORD MAKES IT A 4 POINT GAME ON TNT 113 10913.7 remaining presented by Google Pixel
NBA (@NBA)
The Celtics beat the Nets in a one-off series with two missed free throws in Durant, who put forth one of the most spectacular first round series performances in history. While each game was close, the Celtics simply outclassed the Nets throughout and earned some well-deserved rest before heading to a second round tilt with, most likely, the defending champs.
