The Nets are preparing for Game 2 of their first-round series with the Boston Celtics. Most of us, meanwhile, are preparing to watch another victory for Brooklyn get them closer to their championship goal.
And yes, with New York City on the verge of opening back all the way up, the thought of a victory parade on Flatbush Avenue flirts with any limitations for tempting fate.
Before we start bracing ourselves for another video of Mayor de Blasio wearing a Brooklyn jersey, or any reports of Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang switching back from a Knicks to Nets hat, let’s first focus on Game 2, Tuesday night at Barclays Center.
The Nets should win this series. They’re the better basketball team with the star power and deeper roster. In Game 1, however, there were enough bullet points to justify the Celtics making this a tougher series than most believe it will be.
Kemba staying out of foul trouble
Saturday night, shortly after Game 1 started, I tweeted my thoughts on Kemba Walker as a difference maker for the Celtics in this series. Well, here’s the thing about that:
You must be on the court to be a difference maker.
Early foul trouble kept Walker on the bench for a large portion of the first half. He finished with 15 points on just 5-of-16 shooting, with four fouls in only 27 minutes of action.
Walker finished the regular season playing some of his best basketball. It’s reasonable to conclude Game 1’s hard-fought victory for Brooklyn could’ve went the other way with Walker on the court more than he was.
Jayson Tatum is Boston’s best player, he finished just 0-for-6 from the field in the second half. Brooklyn will likely continue to limit Tatum’s production. With Jaylen Brown out due to injury, it’s imperative for Walker to step up his game in this series.
Game planning for the Time Lord
Before we go any further, “Time Lord” is a bad-ass nickname, it just is.
Robert Williams made his presence felt throughout Game 1 for the Celtics. The Nets have the star power, they have the overall better team, and now they need an answer for this 6’8”, 237-pound young talent with the 7’6” wingspan.
The 23-year old set a franchise record with nine blocks. He also added 11 points and nine rebounds.
Williams was everywhere for Boston Saturday night, and they’ll need more of that from him in Game 2.
Health is a legitimate concern for the Celtics with Williams, he missed time towards the of the regular season with turf toe. He did appear to re-aggravate the injury in Game 1.
If Williams wasn’t already on Brooklyn’s radar, it would be coaching malpractice by Steve Nash and his staff to overlook him now.
The bright side of Game 1 for Boston wasn’t as bad as some think
Walker and Williams aside, the Celtics also limited Brooklyn to just 16 points in the first quarter. They also kept the Nets from getting into a rhythm from behind the three-point line. They didn’t let the fact there was 14,000 fans packed inside Barclays for the first time all year rattle them. Boston deserves credit for keeping it a competitive ballgame and almost stealing it.
The smart money is still on the Nets winning Game 2. They’ve had 48 hours to decompress, rest, and prepare. Those early-moment butterflies from playing in front of packed house are gone now. The flip side to this coin is the Celtics have also had the same 48 hours.
And while Nets fans, shouldn’t think less of their franchise with the superstar-heavy team. They should, perhaps, leave more room for the Celtics in this series than they originally projected.
Image: Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images
