Brooklyn Nets 117, Boston Celtics 122: Rally Cut Short (Highlights) 2
Oct 26, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) grabs the rebound in the last seconds of play against the Brooklyn Nets in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets 122-117. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the start of a new season for the Brooklyn Nets, and the first game was complete with highs and lows. 

  • Brooklyn Nets 117 (0-1)
  • Boston Celtics 122 (1-0)
  • NBA, Final, Box Score
  • TD Garden, Boston, MA

Expectations aren’t high for this team. And it’s tough to condemn them because the Celtics are a great squad and better than most of the Eastern Conference. However, this game helped indicate what needs work.

(Before anything, I was thoroughly impressed by Brooklyn’s resilience and ability to trim down the Celtics’ 23-point fourth quarter lead.)

To start, Brooklyn’s defense is atrocious. Their rebounding is just as bad, and teams need more than offense to stay competitive. As the game progressed, their effort on the boards got better, which is a welcoming sign.

It wasn’t all bad, though. Justin Hamilton came to play–surprisingly–and had a very impressive double-double with 19 points and ten boards. Not only did he put up numbers, but he also took a shot from Jaylen Brown early in the game and bounced back quick.

Bojan Bogdanovic was another guy who stood out, and he was Brooklyn’s leading scorer with 21 on 9/17 shooting.

The Brook Lopez/Jeremy Lin combination wasn’t as effective as fans anticipated, and Lopez ended Wednesday’s contest with just seven points and five rebounds. Lin, however, had a solid debut.

He dropped in 18 and dished out three dimes, and one of his buckets came after a beautiful pump fake on Al Horford.

With 16 points, Joe Harris was the fourth-leading scorer and had a respectable all-around effort. To go along with his point total, the former Cavalier added four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Additional Takeaways

The Nets attempted a franchise-record 44 threes (34 percent conversion) Wednesday night, and it’s clear that this team is looking to go in a different direction.

Boston looked great. They moved the ball with fervor and their unselfishness was marvelous. Isaiah Thomas led with nine of the team’s 36 assists.

The Nets have an offense that’s better than expected, and the balance between motion offense and pick-and-roll was superb.

Without Jeremy Lin on the floor, the offense stagnates incredibly quick, so it’ll be intriguing to see how much Kenny Atkinson stretches out his playing time.

Sean Kilpatrick has the chance to be the second unit’s undisputed first option; he just needs to grab the opportunity.

Lopez’s use was interesting, and he seemed like he didn’t belong out there. Not much of an effort was made to find him in the post, and Luis Scola even started the second half in lieu of him.

 NEXT: Brooklyn Nets Season Preview 

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Zach Cronin
http://thebasketballnetwork.com
I'm obsessed with basketball. I play (my hesi pull-up Jimbo is cash), I write and cover the Nets here at ESNY. My work has been seen on Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated and FanSided. I also run my company, TBN Media. My favorite NBA player is Isaiah Thomas because I can look him in the eye.

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