Biofreeze Keys to the Game: Celtics 112, Nets 104

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A game-changing, 11-0 run during the fourth quarter deposited Monday’s matchup between the Celtics and the Nets into Boston’s win column.

Brooklyn was never able to stage a comeback after the Celtics pulled ahead 102-90 with 7:12 remaining in the game. Boston’s lead never dipped below eight points the rest of the way.

Four Celtics combined to score the 11 points for Boston, and it all got started in a perfect way on this night, considering that Brooklyn almost exclusively played zone against them.

The first bucket of the run arrived after Jaylen Brown flashed to the free-throw line against the 2-3 zone. He accepted a pass from Marcus Smart, and then tossed a floating pass of his own over the defense to Aron Baynes, who had ducked in under the basket. Baynes put home a reverse layup with 10:29 left on the clock.

After a beautiful defensive possession that forced a miss, the Celtics then attacked the free-throw line yet again against the zone. This time, it was via Marcus Morris.

Morris flashed to the stripe and quickly used a smooth one-on-one move to create space for his shot. He dipped the ball under his defender from left to right, took one dribble, then rose into a step-back jumper that fell through the net to make it a 95-90 game.

Morris also scored the next two points of the game, via a tip-in on the offensive glass.

The next bucket came off of the fingers of Gordon Hayward, who wasn’t going to miss on his sixth attempt of the game. Hayward, who misfired on his first five attempts, turned a steal by Smart into a dunk at the other end thanks to a perfect outlet pass from Morris. The crowd cheered loudly for Hayward following the slam, knowing that he had endured a second consecutive rough shooting night.

This night wasn’t rough on his team, though, especially after Jaylen Brown capped the 11-0 run with a wide-open corner 3 from in front of Boston’s bench. The Celtics moved the ball around the perimeter on that possession, drew defenders while attacking the paint, and then Morris found Brown for the open trey.

Brooklyn called for a timeout following that basket, but it was too late to stop the bleeding. Boston had already rattled off 11 straight to take a commanding lead, and the C’s had no interest in giving that lead up as the rest of the game unfolded.

Jaylen Brown is quietly having himself a nice little run with the Celtics.

Brown entered Monday night ranking second on the team with an average of 19.5 points per 36 minutes since Dec. 6. That’s a sample size of 25 games for him.

His per-36 scoring average went up Monday night, after he came off the bench to score 21 points for Boston during 31-plus minutes of action. Those 21 points tied Marcus Smart for the team-high total.

Brown was very efficient throughout the contest. He hit nine of his 16 shot attempts and three of his five 3-pointers. He scored at the basket, in the mid-range, and from long-range during his performance.

Brown also provided the Celtics with six rebounds and two assists while playing turnover-free basketball. The Celtics outscored Brooklyn by 13 points while he was on the floor.

Brad Stevens jokes about Marcus Smart and Aron Baynes shooting 3s.