After putting up at least 25 points in the first three quarters of their second playoff game vs the Celtics, the Nets collapsed in the final quarter, scoring just 17.
Kevin Durant managed 27 points in the game but shot just 4-of-17 from the field. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving also struggled against his former team, scoring just 10 points after putting up 39 in Game 1.
Furthermore, the Celtics limited Durant to just 0-of-10 shooting from the field in the second half.
The Nets got 23 points from Bruce Brown and 18 and 16 points from Goran Dragic and Seth Curry respectively. If the Nets hope to get back into this series, those contributions have to be looked at as more of a luxury than the primary source of offense.
Can home court advantage inspire new life in the nets?
The series shifts back to Brooklyn on Saturday night, which will be a huge relief after having to deal with a loud, hostile crowd in Boston, which certainly gave Celtics players some extra motivation during the first two games of this series.
In the history of the playoffs, we’ve seen that home court indeed matters, and with the physical nature of how the Celtics have played to start off this series, will they be able to maintain that energy in front of a crowd cheering against them?
It will certainly be tough, as players generally feed off the energy of their home crowd and will do anything to rile them up.
Also, basketball fans out there know that both KD and Kyrie will be keen to bounce back, especially with their legacies very much under threat.
Durant has been settling for too many shots in the mid-range, with defenders closing out on him and throwing double and triple teams on him. He’s trying to beat them, but instead, he’s gotta play slower and get into a rhythm.
Being in front of his home fans and hearing their cheers after each bucket goes in could help him establish that rhythm and inspire him to do what he does best, which will rub off on Irving as well.
Nets fans should also feel encouraged by the fact that both players have had their backs against the wall during a playoff series before and have thrived under the pressure.
The Celtics could very well end up winning this series, but this series still has the potential to go six or seven games despite Boston currently being up 2-0.
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