BOSTON – Brook Lopez made the Celtics feel the pain of not having a powerful low post defender, as he led the Brooklyn Nets to a 100-97 win.
The Celtics came roaring back to open the fourth quarter, going on a 12-2 run to tie the game. But with Stevens using an ubersmall lineup with Jonas Jerebko and Jae Crowder as the bigs against Brook Lopez, the game slowed down and the Nets chipped away.
Lopez was phenomenal, scoring a season-high 30 points with 13 rebounds. The Celtics double-teamed him throughout the second half, with his kick out passes invariably resulting in good looks for his teammates. With Stevens experimenting with different defensive schemes after Avery Bradley went down for the day with a hamstring injury, the Celtics never found a strategy that worked for more than a few minutes.
But there was a sudden spark, as Amir Johnson checked in and Isaiah Thomas, of all people, took over defensively. Marcus Smart got back to his role as defensive catalyst in the fourth quarter and suddenly the Celtics were running laps past Brooklyn. Isaiah Thomas was pick pocketing ball handlers being trapped by Jae Crowder.
But the Nets were eventually able to break the Celtics’ full court press. With 26 seconds left and the Celtics down three, the Nets swung the ball around until Brook Lopez was open under the hoop. As he threw it down, the Celtics chances began to fade.
After a circus of Marcus Smart steals and saves to give the Celtics one last chance to tie it, Jonas Jerebko short armed a wide open corner three with two seconds left. Marcus Smart flung the save to Jae Crowder 30-feet out, who couldn’t get a shot off in time.
The Celtics head down to Brooklyn for a Monday grudge match to attempt to tie up the season series.