AP Photo/John Minchillo
The Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets 116-112 on Monday at Barclays Center in Game 4 of the first round for the playoff series sweep, and they did it without superstar Jayson Tatum, who missed the end of the fourth quarter after fouling out.
It was sweet revenge for the Celtics, who fell to the Nets in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs in five games.
Despite fouling out, Tatum finished with 29 points, three rebounds and five assists. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart helped push Boston over the edge, combining for 42 points in the win.
Nets star Kevin Durant had his best game of the series, finishing with 39 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and one steal, but his efforts weren’t enough, as two of Brooklyn’s starters, Bruce Brown and Andre Drummond, combined for just two points.
Kyrie Irving, meanwhile, finished with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Durant and Irving teamed up in Brooklyn for the 2019-20 season in hopes of winning an NBA title. So far, the furthest the Nets have gone in the playoffs is the second round. It didn’t help that Ben Simmons, who was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for James Harden, didn’t play one minute for the franchise this season, but that’s hardly the reason the Nets lost this series.
That said, here’s how social media reacted:
ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo
The Nets are 1-8 in their last 9 playoff games dating back to Game 3 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Bucks.<br><br>Jayson Tatum’s 118 points are the most scored by a Celtics player in a 4-game sweep, breaking his own mark from the 2020 1st Round over the 76ers. <a href=”https://t.co/ZmGFwEsmxg”>pic.twitter.com/ZmGFwEsmxg</a>
The Celtics will either play the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks or Chicago Bulls in the next round. The Bucks lead that series 3-1 with Game 5 set for Wednesday.
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