The Boston Celtics hung their hat on the defensive end all season and facing perhaps the toughest assignment there is in the NBA — slowing down Kevin Durant — Ime Udoka's men have passed with flying colors so far.
It's only been two games, so the sample size is small, but Boston's suffocating defense neutralized Durant again in Game 2, limiting the Nets star to just 4-of-17 shooting as they rallied to a 114-107 win at TD Garden.
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The defense sparked a game-changing 14-2 run to give the Celtics a 99-94 lead with 6:04 remaining in the game as they held on to take a 2-0 series lead.
Durant finished with a solid line of 27 points in 42 minutes, with the bulk of his scoring coming at the free-throw line (18-of-20) as they made him work for every single point.
After a Durant jumper gave the Nets a 17-point lead late in the second quarter, the Celtics turned up the heat on the defensive end, swarming him with help defenders, fronting him in the post and forcing the ball out of his hands as they closed down space effectively. They limited him to 0-of-10 (!) shooting from the field in the second half, while forcing him into six turnovers for the game.
Kevin Durant in the 2nd half of Game 2:
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 21, 2022
0-10 FG
4 turnovers
It's the most FGA without a single make in any half of his entire career (regular & postseason).
"I think [the Celtics] are being physical," Nets head coach Steve Nash said. "He's been uncomfortable. He hasn't looked like he's been able to quite get his rhythm."
Across the first two games, Durant has shot a combined 13-of-41 (31.7 percent) from the field and 2-of-7 (28.5 percent) from beyond the arc. He has rarely had time to settle into any form of rhythm with Boston happy to dare the Nets' role players to beat them.
"I think they just packing in, whoever's on the nail, their forcing them middle and whoever's on the nail is just standing there," Bruce Brown said postgame.
"The supporting cast has got to be better, for them [Durant and Irving], cut get off the wing and just be ready to shoot the ball."
FLEX ON 'EM JB pic.twitter.com/D60scsSrXF
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 21, 2022
In Game 1, Kyrie Irving offset Durant's struggles, going off for 39 points, but he had also had an off-night on Wednesday, shooting 4-of-13 from the field for 10 points.
They say a series doesn't start until a team loses on their home floor and the Nets will now return to Barclays Center hoping to right the ship.
This season, they weren't exactly a force at home this season – albeit without Kyrie Irving for most of the games – as they went 20-21.
On top of that, teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series go on to win 92.4 percent of the time (302-25), with the Celtics holding a 40-1 record all time when leading 2-0. Their only loss came at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18.
Game 3 is set for Saturday, April 23 in Brooklyn with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
