The Boston Celtics aren’ t one of them. With no Durant, no Ben Simmons and no T.J. Warren, the Nets got pummeled, 139-96, by the same Celtics team that swept them out of the first round of last year’ s Eastern Conference playoffs. Their next game comes March 3 again at Boston’ s TD Garden.
For the shorthanded Nets, there might be a recipe to win shorthanded against 25 of the NBA’s other 29 teams.
It’s talent, however, that gets a team over the hump against those legitimate championship contenders.
The Nets believed they found something through the 10-game stretch Kevin Durant had been sidelined with an MCL sprain — that playing with pace, jacking up threes and getting creative on defense could compensate for the superstar-power Durant brings the second he steps onto the floor.
That can work against a number of teams.
The Boston Celtics aren’t one of them.
With no Durant, no Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) and no T.J. Warren (left shin contusion), the Nets got pummeled, 139-96, by the same Celtics team that swept them out of the first round of last year’s Eastern Conference playoffs. The Nets are now 0-3 against the Celtics this season and have lost their last 10 games to Boston, including the playoff series. Their next game comes March 3 again at Boston’s TD Garden.
“We talked about making more threes and shooting more threes than them.
