The Celtics beat the Nets 116-112 today, sweeping the Nets 4-0 on aggregate, becoming the first team to qualify for the second round of the season. In the second round, the Celtics will face the winner between the Bucks and bulls.
It is worth mentioning that this is the 8th time in the history of the Celtics playoff team to sweep an opponent. However, although the Celtics swept the Nets, they averaged only 4.5 points per game, the third smallest point difference in the series swept in NBA history, after the 2017 Cavaliers swept the Pacers in the first round (4 points per game) and the 1975 Finals Warriors swept the Washington Bullets (averaging 4 points per game).
That is to say, although the Nets were swept away, the entire series was not a one-sided situation, but the Nets failed to win one game, so they were swept away in 4 games. If the Nets are slightly luckier, even if they are eliminated, they will not be swept out.
In today's game, Tatum scored six early fouls and played 36 minutes, shooting 9-of-16, including 4-of-6 from three-point range and 7-of-8 from the free throw line, with 29 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. Jaylen Brown shot 9-of-20 from the field and 0-of-5 from three-point range, with 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Smart shot 7-of-16 from the field and 3-of-7 from three-point range, finishing with 20 points, five rebounds and 11 assists.
In this series, Tatum's personal performance is quite strong, averaging 29.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game, Jaylen Brown can also average 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game, and the double probe can add up to 52 points.
In contrast, Durant averaged 26.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in this series, not as good as Tatum. And Irving averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, and the performance was not as good as Brown, and the two best players in history were completely suppressed by the Celtics' double probe, which was the main reason why the Nets were swept.
Durant started 47 minutes today and played almost the entire game, shooting 13-of-31 from 31, 3-of-11 from three-point range, 10-of-11 from the free throw line, 39 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists, but it was still an empty cut. If it weren't for today's good statistics, Durant's average per game in this series would still be even lower.
Irving started 45 minutes and made 6-of-13 shooting, 2-of-3 from three-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line for 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. In the four-game series against the Celtics, except for the first game with 39 points, Irving has been sluggish in the last three games, averaging only 15.3 points per game, shooting only 37.2% from the field, and only 2 of 11 three-pointers combined.
Curry Jr. did well today, shooting 9-of-13 from the field, 5-of-9 from three-point range, and had 23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks, but to no avail.