Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart scored 22 points apiece as the Boston Celtics extended their season-high winning streak to six games Tuesday night in New York with a 126-91 rout of the skidding Brooklyn Nets, whose losing streak reached nine games.
Brown scored eight points in Boston’s game-opening 14-0 run and had 12 in the opening quarter when the Celtics built a 28-2 lead with five minutes left in the quarter and held a 35-16 edge going into the second quarter.
Smart scored 11 in the second when Boston allowed the Nets to get within 12 points early in the period but amassed a 69-43 lead by halftime.
For the game, Brown shot 9-for-12 and also added nine assists and seven rebounds. Smart made 8 of 16 shots, including a season-high six 3-pointers.
Jayson Tatum added 19 points as Boston also won for the eighth time in nine games and pushed the Nets into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Robert Williams III collected 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Dennis Schroder chipped in 11.
The Celtics shot 54.9 percent from the floor and handed out 32 assists.
The Nets dropped to 2-10 since Kevin Durant sprained his medial collateral ligament in his left knee Jan. 15 against New Orleans. Brooklyn also played without James Harden (left hamstring tightness), who missed his third straight game and sat out for the fifth time during the skid.
Brooklyn’s starting lineup of DeAndre’ Bembry, Bruce Brown, Blake Griffin, Patty Mills and rookie Kessler Edwards combined for 21 points.
Jevon Carter hit seven 3-pointers and led the Nets with his season-high 21 points. James Johnson and rookie Cam Thomas also contributed 17 apiece off the bench as Brooklyn shot 38.4 percent.
Brooklyn missed its first eight shots and 14 of its first 15 as Tatum’s layup made it 28-2 with 5:08 left in the first.
David Duke Jr.’s 3-pointer got the Nets within 43-28 with 7:33 left in the second quarter, but Tatum’s 3-pointer pushed the lead to 58-35 with 4:02 to go.
Boston took a 35-point lead when Smart’s 3-pointer made it 85-50 with 6:42 to go in the third period. He hit his final 3-pointer for a 95-62 lead with about two minutes left in the quarter, and the Celtics carried a 97-71 lead into the fourth.
–Field Level Media
