The Boston Celtics have advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The fact that the number two seed has reached the final eight of the NBA postseason is of zero surprise. What is a surprise however is the fact the Celtics were able to win four straight games against a Nets squad which had the very talented Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on its roster, and as a result it is the Nets, who had NBA Finals aspirations to start the year, which are the first team to be eliminated from the postseason and the only team in the 2022 NBA playoffs to be swept in the first round.
On Monday in game four of the series, the Celtics beat the Nets 116-112. It was the Celtics Big Three of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart that came up huge. Tatum had 29 points, Smart had 20 points and 11 assists for the double double, and Brown had 22 points.
What is ironic about the Celtics Big Three coming up huge is because prior to the start of the season all the news was about the Nets Big Three and their megastars of Durant, Irving and James Harden. However during the season the Nets shipped off Harden to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons. We all know the number of games Simmons played for the Nets this year while he was working on his many issues. The answer was zero.
Brooklyn was also outcoached big time in the four game set. It was Celtics coach Ime Udoka who received praise for the in-game adjustments he made. When games are close, as in this series, it is the coaching that stands out and can make more of a difference than when games are blow outs. In the series, the inexperience of Steve Nash definitely showed.
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