In the first game without starting point guard Jarrett Jack, the Brooklyn Nets fell to their rivals the Boston Celtics, 103-94. Boston would lead by double digits after the first quarter and they never looked back.

Jae Crowder Has A Career Night

Celtics forward Jae Crowder finished the game with a career-high 25 points, 14 of them coming in the first frame. Crowder was on target from start to finish, as he shot 8-of-13 from the field and knocked down 7-of-8 from the free throw line. The Boston forward also added six rebounds and three steals to his final stat line.

Boston Strikes In The First Quarter

Crowder would lead the Boston offense in the first quarter, as the team shot 56 percent from the floor and led by 15 heading into the second period. Brooklyn finished the game with 14 turnovers, eight of which came in the first quarter. Boston would turn those 14 turnovers into 20 points.

During the second period the Nets went on a mini 7-0 run, but Boston would remain on top heading into the half, up 56-42.

Brooklyn Makes A Late Surge

The comeback hopes remained alive for Brooklyn up until the final minutes of regulation. With 3:00 left in the game, Joe Johnson cut the Celtic lead to five on short jumper as apart of an 8-3 run. Crowder then retaliated with a three-pointer and Isaiah Thomas followed it up by drawing a shooting foul and converting on two free throws. In the final two minutes of the game, Boston went 7-of-7 from the free throw line to secure their lead and earn a road victory.

“We were locked in as a unit and it showed the first five minutes of the game,” said Crowder. “We came out and we got into them and dictated the way the game was going to go.”

Top Performers

Isaiah Thomas finished with 19 points and seven assists. Evan Turner, Amir Johnson and Jared Sullinger each chipped in 12 points apiece. Turner and Sullinger both finished with double digit rebounds.

Joe Johnson concluded the game with 21 points and four assists. Brook Lopez, who went for 30 points and 13 boards on Saturday afternoon in Boston, was held to 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Thaddeus Young recorded his 18th double-double of the season with 23 points and a season-high 15 boards. Bojan Bogdanovic earned his first double-double of his career with 12 points and 12 rebounds.     

Thoughts From Lionel Hollins

When asked about the sluggish first half, head coach Lionel Hollins said, “We just didn’t come out mentally ready, physically ready.”

Hollins was then asked the question whether the loss came from the lack of adjusting to playing without Jack on the floor, and said, “If you want to make excuses, yeah. There’s always a rationalization for anything bad that happens, both on the court and in life if you choose to. But I choose to say that we’ve got to keep working and getting better.” 

Brooklyn concluded the game shooting 38 percent and made only 21 percent of their three-point attempts. Meanwhile, their opponents finished the night shooting 47 percent from the field.  

Other Things To Note

-It was bobblehead night in Brooklyn for the third and final time this season. The first 10,000 fans in attendance received a Thaddeous Young bobblehead.

-In the four meetings against the Celtics this season, Young recorded a double-double in each of the contests.

-New Brooklyn starter Shane Larkin recorded four points and two assists in 26 minutes of action.

-The Nets are 3-7 in the last 10 games.

Up Next

-The Nets and Celtics will be back on the court on Wednesday, January 6th.

-Brooklyn will host the Toronto Raptors at 7:30 P.M. EST.

-Boston will host the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 P.M. EST.  

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