Celtics-Nets Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Nov 15 2012 1:20AM

Point guard Rajon Rondo might not be ready to go for the Boston Celtics, but the Brooklyn Nets still want to see how they fare against the five-time defending Atlantic Division champs.

They didn't match up well in Boston's first visit to Barclays Center.

The Celtics and Nets each go for a fourth consecutive victory on Thursday night in their first regular-season meeting in Brooklyn.

The NBA leader with 12.5 assists per game, Rondo is day-to-day after leaving in the third quarter of Wednesday's 98-93 victory over Utah with a right ankle injury.

Newcomer Leandro Barbosa stepped in for the three-time All-Star and scored 16 of Boston's 47 bench points.

"Barbosa was terrific," coach Doc Rivers said. "I mean, he bailed us out."

The Celtics (5-3) were in no danger of losing in their first trip to Brooklyn, a 115-85 preseason victory on Oct. 18 that marked the Nets' first national television appearance since March 30, 2011.

Kevin Garnett said after that game that Boston was just "all business" and that its intensity had "nothing to do with Brooklyn" and trying to quiet all the hype the franchise has received by relocating from New Jersey. Nets coach Avery Johnson saw it differently.

"They came in with a different agenda in our preseason game. I think we'll have a little bit of a different agenda tomorrow," Johnson said after Wednesday's practice. "We're a better team (then we were then) and hopefully it will show on the floor."

The Nets (4-2) are still very much a work in progress as newcomer Joe Johnson has slowly worked his way into the offense, but Tuesday's 114-101 victory over Cleveland was a positive sign for "Brooklyn's Backcourt." Johnson and point guard Deron Williams scored season highs of 25 and 26, respectively, after neither had reached 20 all season.

"It's probably the best game that we've had together," said Johnson, who's averaging 15.5 points on 40 percent shooting. "It's still early in the season, but yeah, I'm sure that's the vision everybody had, that's the vision I had and I'm sure this won't be the last (big) game. Like I say man, we're just figuring things out."

The Nets haven't been able to figure out the Celtics, losing all three matchups in 2011-12 by an average of 14.7 points and winning just twice in the last 20 meetings.

Brooklyn center Brook Lopez is off to a quick start with 17.5 points per game, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, but it appears that forward Gerald Wallace (sprained left ankle) will miss a sixth consecutive game.

Keith Bogans, a 6-5 guard, has started for Wallace in four of the last five contests.

Nets second-year guard MarShon Brooks could also see action after being sidelined three games with a left ankle sprain. Brooks averaged 13.7 points last season against Boston - the most by a Net who played in all three games.

Paul Pierce led Boston in those matchups with 22.7 points, while Garnett averaged 18.3 and 11.3 boards.

The Celtics have won 10 of 11 on the road in this series.

"It probably is a game they have circled, so we have to be ready to play," Williams said. "... If we want to take a step in that direction, this is a big game for us."

Brooklyn has held a 20-point lead in each of its last three home games.

Nets beat Rondo-less Celtics, 102-97

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted Nov 16 2012 12:35AM

NEW YORK (AP) Craving a victory over a top team, all the Brooklyn Nets needed was someone to make a couple of big shots.

That's one of the reasons they traded for Joe Johnson.

Johnson made the tiebreaking basket with 3:03 left, followed with another jumper, and the Nets beat the Boston Celtics 102-97 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory.

Johnson finished only 6 of 17 from the field, but he had the two biggest makes of the game in the biggest victory his new team has recorded since acquiring him from Atlanta.

"When you're struggling like that, a lot of times we remember what happens in the fourth quarter. (Like) a baseball player. He goes 0 for 3, but he gets up in the ninth inning and hits a home run or a double to bring somebody in. That's what you remember and it's the same thing tonight with Joe," Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "He struggled a little bit but I thought he did a good job to get quality shots."

Especially since fellow All-Star guard Deron Williams was fighting through a foot or ankle injury after getting hit on a spin move earlier in the game.

"Down the stretch I die for moments like that," Joe Johnson said.

"I just didn't make shots like I normally do, but in the last three or four minutes of the game I tried to focus a little more and just be a little more aggressive."

Williams and Brook Lopez each scored 24 points for the Nets, who were blown out by Miami in their lone game against a top opponent this season, their first with a rebuilt team and high expectations in Brooklyn.

So they didn't hide how much it meant to beat the perennial Atlantic Division champions.

"This was a huge win for us," Williams said.

Williams had eight assists and made all nine free throws on a night Paul Pierce had two huge misses from the line in the final minute for the Celtics, who played without injured point guard Rajon Rondo.

Johnson finished with 19 points and eight rebounds for the Nets in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,732 that was divided but certainly loud in the tense, final minutes.

Pierce scored 22 points and Leandro Barbosa had 17 in place of Rondo, who was out with a sprained right ankle. Kevin Garnett added 14 points but Boston had its three-game win streak snapped and lost to the Nets for just the third time in the past 21 meetings.

Boston led 79-74 after three before the Nets evened it up at 85 on Jerry Stackhouse's 3-pointer with 6:21 to play. It was still tied before Johnson made consecutive jumpers and Lopez scored on a follow shot for a six-point lead, and the Celtics could never catch up - especially when Pierce missed two free throws with 34.5 seconds left and Boston trailing by three.

Pierce's layup attempt had barely missed while he was fouled. Instead of the game potentially being tied with a basket and free throw, the Celtics were still down three after the 83.6 percent free throw shooter coming in clanged them both.

"I think I was thinking about the layup too much, a little disappointed. It was unlike me to miss two free throws," Pierce said. "So I take a lot of blame for down the stretch. I'm the guy they call upon to make the plays and I didn't make the plays tonight. It's a long season, but that's not the main reason we lost tonight. You can point to a number of little things we talk about all season long."

Rondo was hurt in the third quarter Wednesday night in a home victory over Utah. Without the NBA leader in assists, averaging 12.6, coach Doc Rivers said the playbook would be reduced because Barbosa didn't fully know the offense yet.

But the speedy Brazilian created for himself just fine, blowing by defenders for layups though finishing with just two assists.

Avery Johnson said the Nets needed a breakthrough against a quality opponent such as Boston and was interested to see how far his team had come since the Celtics smashed them 115-85 here in the preseason, a night he felt the longtime Atlantic Division rulers were trying to send a message to his team.

The Nets have definitely closed the gap.

They had led by 20 or more in their past three home games and opened a 13-point cushion early in the third quarter of this one.

But Pierce, who had a quiet six-point first half, suddenly got going midway through the period with a 3-pointer and basket as the Celtics fans - still noticeable around the arena though not nearly to the extent as when the Nets played in New Jersey - became more vocal.

When he picked up his fourth foul and Rivers sent Jeff Green to the table to check in for him, Pierce pleaded to stay, Rivers agreed, and Pierce made the gamble pay off with consecutive baskets that gave Boston a 73-71 lead.

The Nets shot out to a quick 11-point lead that was trimmed to 31-26 after one quarter. Brooklyn kept its lead throughout the second quarter, using 15 offensive rebounds in the first half to score 19 second-chance points and build a 59-50 advantage.

"I was disappointed with our effort in the first half. I thought they just kicked our butts in the first half," Rivers said. "I thought they were more physical, went over our backs, pushed us around. In the second half, we did that. And the fourth quarter I thought we had great shots, we just couldn't make any of them."

NOTES: The Nets made their first regular-season appearance on TNT since Jan. 24, 2008, against Golden State. Marv Albert, who is from Brooklyn and worked for the Dodgers when he was young before later calling games for both the Knicks and the Nets, was the lead announcer. ... Lopez came in averaging 8.2 points in the first quarter and shooting 69.7 percent. He shot 5 of 7 Thursday.

Notebook: Nets 102, Celtics 97

Jake Appleman, for NBA.com
Posted Fri Nov 16, 2012 12:15 AM - Updated Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:25 AM

THE FACTS: The Nets overcame a dreadful third quarter to defeat the Rajon Rondo-less Celtics, 102-97, at Barclays Center. An efficient Brook Lopez (24 points, six rebounds, 11-for-14 shooting) paced the Nets. Paul Pierce (22 points) came alive in the second half for the Celtics, but missed two crucial free throws down the stretch. Brooklyn's backcourt, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, combined for 43 points and 12 assists, but inefficiently turned up the volume on their shooting, combining for 12-36 (33 percent) from the floor.

QUOTABLE: "We can't wait to turn it on when we get down and decide to play. It has to be from the start, especially when we are down without our point guard, which is our leader."

-- Pierce.

THE STAT: The Nets chased down 15 of their 18 offense rebounds in the first half, part of the reason they had another sizable early lead at home.

TURNING POINT: With the Nets up 93-92 after a Jeff Green corner three, Williams drove the lane, got fouled, and canned two free throws. The shots began a free throw parade thanks to Avery Johnson's decision to foul Boston's shooters instead of allowing them looks at 3-pointers. During that span, Williams drew what appeared to be a phantom foul off of an inbounds play, allowing the Nets to remain in control.

QUOTABLE II: "I am happier for the fans. When they start doing the Brooklyn chant, I enjoy hearing it."

-- Joe Johnson, on the crowd

INSIDE THE ARENA: Victor Cruz of the Giants and the actress Ellen Pompeo sat courtside ... The crowd was louder than it had been in recent games and small pockets of Celtics fans made themselves heard.

ROOKIE WATCH: Jared Sullinger was largely ineffective for the Celtics, committing two fouls in under eight minutes.

NOTABLE: The Nets bench shot 0-7 in the third quarter when the Celtics regained control of the game for a time.

UP NEXT: For the Celtics, Saturday vs. Toronto, Sunday @ Detroit, Wednesday vs. San Antonio. For the Nets, Thursday vs. Boston, Sunday @ Sacramento, Tuesday @ LA Lakers, Wednesday @ Golden State.

• Celtics: Bradley, Joseph, Melo
• Nets: Shengelia, Wallace

• Celtics: --
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Officials: #6 Tony Brown, #30 John Goble, #31 Scott Wall, #25 Tony Brothers
• Attendance: 17732
• Duration: 2:37