Omar Rawlings/Getty Images
The Celtics seemed to be cruising to a Friday night win, until they weren’t
Boston blew a 28-point lead against the Brooklyn Nets en route to a 115-105 loss at TD Garden, wasting a 35-point effort by Jaylen Brown, who exploded for 21 in the first half alone.
The troubles began in the second quarter. Up big, the Celtics allowed Brooklyn to go on a nice run to close out the half and cut the lead to nine going in the locker room. The Nets would really turn it up in the second half as they outscored the home team 60-41 over the final two quarters.
It also probably wasn’t the 25th birthday that Jayson Tatum was expecting either as he finished with 22 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the field and 0-of-8 from three-point range.
Twitter certainly didn’t hold back on the former No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference who have now lost two of its last three games.
gary washburn @GwashburnGlobe
This is really embarrassing. The #Celtics are just getting outhustled and outworked, shutting down after taking a 28-point lead. Now they’re down 10 with 8:20 left. #Nets
Jay King @ByJayKing
This must be the worst loss of the season. Celtics started messing around, gave the Nets life and could never get back on track.
ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo
The Nets were down as many as 28 points before pulling off a stunning comeback in Boston.
It matches the Nets’ largest comeback in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97) and represents the Celtics’ second-largest blown lead over that span. pic.twitter.com/0yLOXcZyvQ
Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
It also, per @ESPNStatsInfo, is the largest comeback win for any team this season. https://t.co/FtBFuwoizD
Souichi Terada | 寺田惣一 @SouichiTerada
Celtics doing their best impression of the first half 2021-22 C’s. This team looks disjointed out there.
Max Lederman @Max_Lederman
Really perplexing how the Celtics are still having games like this at this point in the season.
Josiah Johnson @KingJosiah54
Celtics tryna guard Mikal Bridges pic.twitter.com/cR0aKVbSBF
pete rogers, professional diaper changer @petemrogers
me after Q1: better get jersey #46 prepped, no way celts blowing this
celtics: pic.twitter.com/ETqXAdPOvm
Celtics Lab Podcast @CelticsLab
Celtics tonight pic.twitter.com/BWpGTxJLBn
Coming out of the All-Star break the Celtics have not looked quite the same after their torrid start to the season in which they had a stranglehold over the Eastern Conference and many saw Tatum as an MVP front-runner.
They now fall to 45-19 for the season and trail Milwaukee by a game in the East. Another bad sign for Boston is that one of its key defensive stoppers, Robert Williams—who is often injured—left Friday’s game with tightness in his left hamstring.
The team will now look to regroup ahead of yet another tough Atlantic Division matchup against the New York Knicks on Sunday. The Knicks just beat Boston on Feb. 27.
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Francisco Rosa