Jayson Tatum scored 31 of his 41 points in the first half and collected 14 rebounds as the Boston Celtics continued their recent dominance of the Brooklyn Nets with a 118-110 victory on Tuesday night in New York.
Including their four-game sweep in the first round of the 2022 playoffs, the Celtics are 13-1 in their past 14 meetings with the Nets.
Tatum registered his 25th career 40-point game and his third of the season by shooting 14-for-26, including 5-for-11 from 3-point range. Boston finished with 15 3-pointers and shot 51.8 percent from the floor.
Jaylen Brown added 19 points as all five starters scored in double figures in Boston’s fifth straight win. Derrick White and Al Horford contributed 16 points apiece while Jrue Holiday collected 14 points and a season-best 12 assists on a night when Kristaps Porzingis (back contusion) was held out.
Mikal Bridges scored 27 points for the Nets, who trailed by as many as 23 and dropped to 6-17 in their past 23 games. Cam Thomas added 26 points and Lonnie Walker IV contributed 15 for the Nets, who shot 49.4 percent from the field.
Tatum scored 16 points in the opening quarter, including 10 straight Boston points to end the period, as the Celtics shot 62.5 percent and held a 36-30 lead. After the Nets trailed 45-43 on two free throws by Bridges, the Celtics outscored the Nets 27-14 over the final 7 1/2 minutes of the first half for a 72-57 lead.
The Nets pulled within 78-64 on a layup by Bridges with 9:21 left in the third before Boston added to the margin. Tatum buried a 3-pointer and converted a breakaway dunk on consecutive trips to cap a 15-6 burst that made it 93-70, and the Celtics took a 98-82 lead into the fourth.
The Nets kept rallying and trailed 102-95 following Dennis Schroder’s basket with 7:20 left. Tatum then re-entered the game and hit an 18-footer over Schroder before Brown canned a fadeaway for a 108-95 edge with 5:51 left.
Bridges’ trey got the Nets within 114-108 with 2:07 to go, but Tatum surpassed 40 points with a layup on the next possession. After Schroder missed a 3-point attempt, Holiday found White for a dunk that made it 118-108 with 46.8 seconds left.
–Field Level Media
