Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving's Christmas Day Show at Boston

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

🎄  BRooOOOKLYN IN THE HOUSE  🎄

Nets      123

Celtics     95

FINAL

🎅

Merry NETSmas, everybody!

Kyrie Irving makes his triumphant return to Beantown, bearing a bag full of gifts for his former team.  Playing in his first NBA game at TD Bank Arena since May 6, 2019, the former Celtic tucks a game-high 37 points into Boston's holiday baskets.  He also graciously distributes another game-high eight assists while highlighting Brooklyn's commanding 28-point margin of victory over the Celtics.  With an efficiency, even Santa's elves can appreciate, Kyrie is 13/21 (62%) from the field, 7/10 from the arc, and a perfect 4/4 from the stripe.  It's just too bad Boston fans couldn't join together in attendance to revel in Friday's late afternoon Christmas Day festivities and exchange their personal good wishes with Irving in person.

Kevin Durant scores eight points without so much as a single second ticking off the clock.  Great players get to the line and make you pay; that's all there is to it.  He is 8/9 from the charity line and otherwise shoots 9/16 (56%) from the field and 3/4 from beyond the arc.

Steve Nash turned up the heat against the Celtics.  Irving's and Durant's minutes remained consistent during two pre-season games (including one against Boston) and through Tuesday's home opener against Golden State at Barclays.  This game marks the first in which Durant and Irving exceed thirty minutes; Coach Nash issues each an equal 33 minutes.  Brooklyn's stiff jab followed by the unseen straight right join together for 66 points or 53.6% of Brooklyn's gross total, on 22/37 (59.4%) from the field.  The two also join for 12/13 (92%) on free throws, which accounts for 46.1% of Brooklyn's scoring from the stripe.

At the "center of attention," DeAndre continues taking his place on the court for the opening tip-offs, but it's Jarrett Allen who is garnering more minutes, if only slightly.  Jordan was a plus-5 in 19 minutes with four points and seven rebounds.  Jarrett Allen was a plus-18 with nine points and 5/6 from the line to complement a game-high eleven rebounds (five offensive) in 21 minutes.

Caris LeVert, in 19 minutes, was 5/8 from the floor for ten points with three assists; he missed on two occasions from three.  Joe Harris was a quiet 2/4 from the arc with nine points overall.

Jeff Green's forceful putback early in the game turned out to be his only points.  Together with Taurean Prince, they joined for 2/8 from the field and a minus-6 for the game in fifteen and twelve minutes.

A sloppy start by Brooklyn results in a 54-51 deficit at halftime.  But Flatbush storms back, outscoring Boston 72-41 in the second half and limiting the Celtic to just 18 points in the fourth quarter.  Boston outrebounds (47-43) the Nets, but their accuracy from the field was demonstratively awry, shooting a mere 37/98 (38.7%) for the game.

• Next up: Flatbush (2-0) visits Charlotte on Sunday.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS