Brooklyn Nets: With a Flick of the Switch

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

PLAYOFFS: ROUND ONE
Nets defeat Celtics; 4-1

I - BKN 104; BOS 93

II - BKN 130; BOS 108

III - BOS 125; BKN 119

IV - BKN 141; BOS 126

V - BKN 123; BOS 109

The Curious Case Of Game Three

Not only does Flatbush defeat and eliminate the Celtics in five games of the first round of these playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets quite literally inflict upon Boston the equivalent of an organizational compound fracture.

President of Basketball Ops Danny Ainge has since announced his retirement.  For the moment, his departure renders the Celtics in a state of disrepair, as in out of order, as in broken (hearted).  Lest we forget, this Celtics team is the one former Nets general manager Billy King so graciously helped Danny Ainge build and/or construct by providing him with so many years of high-end draft selections in exchange for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.  But it wasn't until Tuesday that the Celtics actually realized their failure, considering they just got ousted by the underwriters of their own playoff viability.  This is to say Sean Marks and the Nets have been to the depths of the NBA standings and are presently moving on to round two against Milwaukee at Boston's expense.

Now that the Nets are moving on, having eliminated Boston in commanding fashion, I must ask what the hell happened in game three?  They led by as many as 15 points, then trailed at one point by 17 points only to lose by six points.  James Harden led Flatbush with 40 points, and Kevin Durant scored 39 points.  But Jayson Tatum dropped 50 points that night ... and I say, so what.

Brooklyn won game one by eleven points, then took game two by a considerable 22 points.  Then came what I can only describe as an internal short circuit.  They troubleshoot it and seemingly cleared it.  Because the Nets win game four by 15 points, then close out the series with a 14 point margin of victory.

Talk about a flick of the switch ...