Celtics Sweep Nets in NBA 1st Round Playoffs

Jayson Tatum scored 29 points, Jaylen Brown scored 22, and Marcus Smart had a double double with 20 points and 11 rebounds as the Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets 116-112, completing a four game sweep to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

For the second year in a row, the super team that was assembled in Brooklyn failed to live up to the hype. Last year, the Nets lost in the Eastern semifinals to eventual champion Milwaukee. This year, the Nets had to win a play in game over Cleveland just to make it into the playoffs, before being swept by Boston. Kevin Durant had a fine season, averaging just under 30 points per game in the regular season and 26.3 in the playoffs, but Kyrie Irving played in just 29 regular season games, missing most of the home schedule due to not getting vaccinated against Covid-19. For most of the season, unvaccinated players were barred from playing in New York City until that was lifted late in the regular season. James Harden was traded to Philadelphia during the season, and Ben Simmons, who was the big name arriving from the 76ers in that trade, didn’t play due to injuries and other issues.

Meanwhile, the Celtics, the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, played very well down the stretch, going 15-4 to close out the season, and now have dispatched the Nets in four games. The Celtics will play the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks-Chicago Bulls series in the semifinals, probably the Bucks, who lead that series 3-1. The two split their four regular season games, each winning two on their home court.