NBA Playoffs: The Nets' Big Three show their class to take game one from the Celtics
Brooklyn, New York - The Brooklyn Nets showed why they're one of the best teams in the NBA as their Big Three overpowered the Boston Celtics to win game one in the Eastern Conference first-round playoffs on Saturday night.
The Nets got off to a slow start, but Kevin Durant (32), James Harden (31), and Kyrie Irving (29) rallied to power them to a 104-93 win and a 1-0 series lead.
This was only their ninth game together and it took a little while to build up some chemistry, but in the end, they looked every bit like the superstar unit they are.
To be clear, it was a tale of two halves in this game. The Nets simply shot terribly at first, and they looked like they couldn't hit the floor if they fell down. By the end of the first quarter, they only had 16 points to show for themselves. To their credit though, they nearly doubled that point total in the second, while still not quite playing up to par as the Celtics stayed in control.
Brooklyn also only made one 3-pointer in the first half and found themselves trailing the Celtics at halftime, 53-47.
Brooklyn's big three finally showed their true colors in the second half
The Nets definitely turned things around after that though, as Durant, Harden, and Irving combined for 22 points, turning the tables on the Celtics in the third quarter. Brooklyn kept the pressure on and had Boston playing catch-up in the fourth, running away with the victory.
"We knew that our offense would start to come around," Durant told ESPN after the game. He led all scorers with 32 points and 12 rebounds. Irving followed up with 29 points and six boards, while Harden scored 21, with nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum put in more time than anyone on the floor, playing a game-high 41 minutes, but could only score 22 points, along with five assists and three rebounds. Marcus Smart managed to put up 17 points, while Kemba Walker scored 15.
The Nets host game two on Tuesday night again from Brooklyn, as the Celtics hope to even things up in the series.
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire