Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics: 3 big questions and a prediction

Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
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Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Will Brooklyn’s deadly offense be too much for the Celtics, or will Boston put the clamps on KD and Kyrie?

The Nets season has had its ups and downs. Durant was out for an extended period of time where Brooklyn lost 11-straight games. Additionally, the team had Kyrie Irving part-time until the first week of March, when the vaccine mandates were lifted. Don’t forget the Nets also traded away James Harden in a blockbuster trade that sent Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond to the Nets.

Despite the roller-coaster season for Brooklyn, they still were able to sneak into the playoffs as the seventh-seed. Boston has the 3-1 regular-season series won, but Boston won two of those games against a Brooklyn team that did not feature Durant or Irving.

Brooklyn’s strength is the ability to score quickly and they like to pile up the points fast. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are two of the best scorers in recent NBA history. Both of them on the same team must be a nightmare for opposing coaches. Boston has to be very strategic with how they play Durant and Irving in this series.

The Nets ranked top 10 in these offensive categories:

  • Points- 9th
  • Assists- 10th
  • Field Goals made- 5th
  • Free throws made- 10th
  • Field goal percentage- 4th
  • 3-point percentage- 10th
  • Free throw percentage- 6th
  • Offensive Rating- 1st