Such scenes are extremely rare. When the role players have been fully utilized, no one thought that the two superstars who dragged the Nets back. Durant made six turnovers on 4-of-17 shooting; Irving's efficiency also fell to the bottom of 4-of-13 shooting, the first time since the two were on the same team that the same shooting rate was less than 33.3%.
The playoff showdown has never been a simple comparison between book strength and superstars. When the Celtics won the first game, instead of being complacent and complacent, they were thinking about why Irving was 39 points. In the second re-battle, Smart, wearing a "DPOY" suit, personally led Irving to defend, giving Owen enough physical confrontation.
The Celtics have locked their defensive focus on Irving and Durant, who firmly believe that as long as the two superstars, the Nets' role players, are locked, they will have nothing to do. Dragic shot 7-of-10 in the first half was really good, with Brown scoring 14 points, 4 boards and 2 assists to shine brightly, Seth Curry also lightly taking eight points, and the Celtics trailing by double digits.
However, in the face of such a situation, the Celts were unmoved. Because the basketball game is 48 minutes in four quarters, the Celtics can tolerate them falling behind in the first half, but only if they have to exhaust the energy of Durant and Irving to counterattack in the second half. Packing, encircling and suppressing, joint defense, the Celtics sent the most fierce physical confrontation of this era, playing a retro basketball that has not been seen for many years.
The fierce physical confrontation made every shot of Durant and Irving deviate from the line and feeling they wanted. To make matters worse, the Celtics are extremely oppressive and could cut the line at any time, causing the Nets to make mistakes. Irving was forced to make a difficult shot, facing the predicament, 13 shots did not fit his Mamba temperament, but in front of Smart, he seemed to have more than enough and was not strong enough.
Durant's form is not much better, and the Celtics have already set up a heavy defense for him. Every shot in the last quarter, he had to withstand great pressure. When they ran out of energy, the Celtics seized the opportunity and blasted a 16-1 frenzy in just 7 minutes to reverse the situation. At the crucial moment, the superstar was already out of breath, and the Celtics gave the ball to Brown and Tatum, allowing them to take over and harvest the game.
The Celtics' G2 battle has too many unsung heroes. They're not like Tatum, acting as enforcers of life-and-death moments, but in the first 40 minutes or so, they inflict devastating psychological damage on the Nets. Could it be that the Nets' offense was really blocked?
Throughout the second half, Durant shot 0-of-10 and scored 12 points on just free throws. Yes, it wasn't that he wanted to touch the penalty points, it was that he had to be rounded up on the free throw line. This is the first time in his career that Durant has made at least 10 shots in the second half, but he has lost all of his sports goals. Shooting less than 40 percent from the field in two consecutive games and averaging six turnovers per game was the first time in Durant's career.
The Celtics gave Durant and Irving their darkest moments in their careers. After falling behind 0-2 by the big score, the probability of the Nets predicted by the US media is only 6%.
Whether the Nets can withstand the pressure next depends on whether the two superstars are tough enough to respond in a fierce confrontation; on the other hand, it may depend on the scale of the referee and whether the opponent's physical collision can be more constrained. Otherwise, in the fierce confrontation, it is too difficult to expect the two to project efficiency and lead the team out of the predicament.