Nets points vs Celtics, fast food: Jason Tatum leads Boston to back-to-back Brooklyn sweep with 116-112 win

The Boston Celtics sealed their place in the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 116-112 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 of their best of seven series. Jason Tatum was fantastic for Boston to finish the win with 29 points, five assists and three rebounds to lead the Celtics. In the end, Tatum’s efforts combined with the rest of the Celtics’ contributions were enough to stop Kevin Durant’s brutal run for the net as he finished the game with 39 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in a loss.

Boston will now advance to face the series winner between the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls, which the Bucks currently lead by 3-1. There will be a lot of questions the Nets will face in this off season and it seems safe to say that they will have to deal with these much sooner than anyone expected.

Here are three main points from Game 4.

1. Historically close sweep

Let’s take a look at the winning margins in each of the four games within this sweep:

Game 1: Celtics 1

Game 2: Celtex 7

The third game: Celtics 6

Fourth game: Celtics 4

That’s 18 points in four games. Nick Claxton missed 18 free throws on the series. This is how small the gap between these teams is. A little more luck off the streak, a few bounces for Brooklyn, and in another world, the Nets could be the team that is sweeping the Celtics right now.

None of this is intended to undermine the Celtics. If anything, sweeping the Nets set in four close matches is probably more impressive than doing it in four strokes. The whole advantage of having Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving is that your team should always be able to create a good shot in the middle of the field. They’re one of the best shot-making duos in NBA history, and with a crunch time that depends on creating a half-court shot, winning them in the clutch four times is insanely impressive.

But before you make your jokes about sweeping the nets, just keep in mind how close this series really is. The last 18-point margin makes it the third-closest sweep of four games in NBA history, according to ESPN Statistics and Information. Only the 2017 Cavaliers (above the Pacers) and the 1975 Warriors (above the lead) were closer, both of which were by only 16 points.

There is a chance, albeit small, that Boston will win the championship without playing a series this close in terms of points difference. They may not sweep every round and may not make it to the finals. But what they did for the Nets who were so much better than he had any right to think about with his injuries was one of the most impressive feats we will see in the post-season. The Celtics are on their way to something special, and the Nets could be back there in a year.

2. Too Little, Too Blake

Andre Drummond played almost 60 minutes in this series. Brooklyn lost those minutes by 25 points. They won the remainder of the series by seven. Nic Claxton proved an important upgrade in defense, but he shot 1 of 11 from the foul streak. It was great otherwise, but those wasted free throws were the difference in the game. As such, the only big guy who proved reliable on both ends tonight was Blake Griffin.

Griffin nets are rarely used all season. He did not participate in the series until the third game. He played 18 minutes in Game 4 and the net won those minutes by 10 points. He was also predictably exposed to gas at the end of the fourth quarter and needed to take a break in the closing minutes. This is what happens when someone outside of your tournament becomes an essential part in the middle of the qualifying series.

It’s hard not to wonder if Griffin might swing a game or two if he was introduced to the series earlier, or even if the nets should make an even bigger effort to reintegrate him into the regular season rotation if they feel he might. needed in qualifying. Griffin honestly struggled throughout most of the season. Brooklyn relied on him in the 3-second open last year and he’s shooting just 26.2 percent from behind the arc this season. It’s not the same thing physically.

But when you rely on a central spin consisting entirely of players making minimal money, getting the most out of them is likely to be critical. Curling found Griffin too late, and they paid for it in the series.

3. With or without Tatum

In the grand scheme of things, Boston’s last 2:38 stay without Jason Tatum doesn’t change the scale of their victory. With or without him, they would advance to the second round. But there are always a few unseen moments on the road to the championship that make the team believe they can win the championship.

The Bucks needed to win two games without Giannis Antetokounmpo a year ago. The 2000 Lakers were famous for winning Game 4 of the 2000 Finals after Shaquille O’Neal’s mistake because Kobe Bryant took over. It’s not always absence, but when teams win trophies, it’s rarely easy or clean. There are moments of doubt, moments when it seems like a car might slip off the road. Watching a 15-point lead collapse at the hands of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving could have been one of those moments.

But Boston fought for the win and did it as a team. Tatum will be fine. He will turn. But winning the championship requires everyone to do their part, and the Boston players got a huge dose of confidence as they tried to do their part.