The Celtics improved to 31–25 with a 126–91 win against the Nets, giving them a jump in the standings. They are now seventh in the East, and they are in a virtual tie with the sixth-seeded Raptors.
On Tuesday, the Celtics made light work of an empty Nets team, earning a 126–91 victory and improving their record since New Year's Eve to 15–6.
Most of those victories have come against inferior opponents, including Brooklyn, who took the court without Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. But Boston's ability to consistently live up to the standard they have set for themselves is admirable and has spoken to a level of focus that will help them against better competition.
The Celtics jumped from the net, moving east to seventh, and also a virtual tie with the sixth-seeded Raptors, reflecting the massive gap they had to stay healthy and retain their starting lineup.
Whether the Celtics' habits are evolving now, especially with regard to their superior ball speed and spacing, are staples of how they play against top competition, remains to be seen. But if they are, they will have a better chance of surviving an early exit post season.
Now, what turned out to be Boston's win at the Nets on Tuesday.
Celtics make biggest first quarter lead by any NBA team this season
Taking advantage of the talent gap created by the absences of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, the Celtics took a 28-2 lead. As noted in the header above, this is the biggest first quarter lead by any NBA team this season.
Jaylen Brown, known for fast starts, did it again on Tuesday, scoring 12 of her 22 points in the first frame to help Boston set the tone for the game.
The Celtics continued to play the lockdown defence, and at the other end, their ball and player speed was excellent on Tuesday, which is also a growing trend. He made a business debut against Brooklyn early on, which speaks to Boston's newfound ability to play in no less talented competition.
Jason Tatum out of double teams
The Nets sent two consecutive defenders into Jason Tatum in hopes of mitigating his influence, and he repeatedly paid them to do so.
The now three-time All-Star finished with four assists, which was plenty for a game where he only needed 27 minutes to play, and he also made too many hockey assists that would not be reflected in a traditional box score.
another +3 pic.twitter.com/LFl1L63tnV
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 9, 2022
TOOK OUT EVERYONE IN HIS PATH 😤 pic.twitter.com/U83bDNI5Ei
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 9, 2022
The Celtics recorded their most points in the first half of this season
After two quarters, the Celtics had 69 points on the board, which they have scored in the first half of the season.
Driven by its lockdown defense and superb player and ball speed - and talent discrepancy - Boston shot 28/45 (62.2 percent) from the field, including 8/20 (40 percent) from beyond the arc.
He had 19 assists, 38 points in the paint—the most he produced in any half this season—only five turnovers, and he scored 18 points from the Brooklyn turnover.
Jaylen Brown entered the break with 18 points on shooting 7/8 (87.5 percent), and she also made five of her nine assists and caught five of her seven rebounds in the first half.
The Nature of Marcus Smart's Great Shooting Night
Marcus Smart tied Brown for a game-high 22 points, doing so on 8/16 shooting, which included 6/13 (46.2 percent) on his three-point attempts.
Smart wouldn't always shoot that well, but he was taking good shots that were effectively taking the ball off Boston and getting the extra attention Tatum and Brown were attracting. Rhythm and often open looks improve his or her chances of seeing the ball pass through the net.
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Celtics are closed until after the trade deadline. Full coverage of Inside the Celtics takes place before, during, and after the 3 p.m. deadline Thursday. EST.
Then, they host the Denver Nuggets on Friday nights. That matchup tips close at 7:30 EST. Inside the Celtics will have content coming before, during, and after the game. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.