
Boston’s Jayson Tatum reacts after hitting a 3-pointer in the first half against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night in New York. Heather Khalifa/Associated Press
NEW YORK — Jayson Tatum had 36 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 24 points and 12 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets 139-114 on Wednesday night.
Payton Pritchard had 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Celtics, who quickly and emphatically bounced back with their highest points total of the season after a surprising 117-116 home loss to Atlanta on Tuesday night.
Boston fell into a 13-point hole in the first quarter before the NBA champions snapped themselves back into top form and turned the game into a rout with a 74-point second half.
Ziaire Williams scored a season-high 23 points for the Nets.
TAKEAWAYS
Celtics: The home loss to an Atlanta team that played without star guard Trae Young was puzzling. But when the Celtics play like they did in the third quarter, when they rang up 38 points and were 7 for 11 behind the arc, nights like those will be rare.
Nets: The Nets should like what they’re seeing from Williams, who made his second straight start with Ben Simmons (left calf tightness) and Dorian Finney-Smith (sprained left ankle) sidelined. They added the No. 10 pick in the 2021 draft after he spent his first three seasons in Memphis.
KEY MOMENT
Derrick White, who scored a season-high 31 points Tuesday, was in foul trouble and scoreless in the first half Wednesday. He finally scored with a 3-pointer early in the third quarter, quickly sparking the Celtics to a 13-2 spurt that pushed a four-point lead to 85-70.
KEY STAT
The Celtics have won 12 of the last 13 meetings overall against the Nets and seven straight in Brooklyn, where they haven’t lost since the 2020-21 season.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs. You can modify your screen name here.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.