Here are five points from the victory of Brooklyn.
1. What can Brooklyn get from this victory?
Well, it turns out to be a very awesome team when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combined for 59 points in 21-of-31 shots, including 4-of-7 out of 3. Irving made his first 12 shots, which would be a postseason record if play-in counted as a real playoff game, which is not the case. Finish the first half with this madness: That’s the kind of thing Irving did all night. He did not collect buckets for easy looks. These were largely hard shots that only a few players in the world, like Durant’s teammate, make easy. Durand and Irving finished with 19 points in a 10-on-10 shot in the first quarter to put Cleveland in the hole from which it could not crawl. Durant calmed down in parts of the second and third quarters, but closed hard with two clutch jumps as Cleveland had reduced the lead to five. Durand was also formidable defensively, blocking three shots and substituting a few more.
2. What happens when Durant / Irving sit?
That was a problem on Tuesday. When Durant made his first half of the game at the end of the first half, the Nets scored two, yes two, points in the first four minutes, 23 seconds into the second half before Durant returned. By that point, even with Kyrie still in the game, Brooklyn’s momentum was gone and the next thing you knew was that the Nets had scored just eight points in the first nine or more minutes of the second half. Irving and Durand both played 42 minutes on Tuesday and the Nets needed each of them. Steve Nash has no choice: he must play the monster Durant and Irving for as long as this team is alive. And even then, what does it say that Brooklyn, with its two stars playing huge minutes and almost perfect as a combination, had to beat a Cleveland team that played without Jarrett Allen?
3. Brooklyn’s defense was encouraging
It was not just Durant who defended the rim. Nick Claxton was there with five blocks. Everyone committed to spinning and recovering and competing shots all over the field. even non-blockers made shooting difficult. The Cavs are a limited offensive team, and were successful in the transition and early attack, but when Brooklyn came back and stood, they made a relatively good defensive effort. Of course, the Celtics pose much bigger problems with a lot of great scorers and a steady supply of consistent creators, not to mention a Boston defense change that could throw a lot of bodies at Durant and Irving. Cleveland scored many lay-ups with point-gaps lay-ups and passed over passes in the half, as Brooklyn found himself too big in color. When Andre Drummond is out of order or disabled, Al Horford and Daniel Theis will try to take advantage of similar properties. For the Nets, this is the best time to catch the Celtics, as Robert Williams will probably not play in the series, otherwise Boston would be even bigger. Select the checkbox to confirm that you want to sign up.
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4. Nets need more than Seth Curry
Curry was left without a score in 34 minutes. He only got four shots. It has to do with a bum ankle, but there really is not much to say. The Nets obviously need more than that. Boston is going to anticipate Bruce Brown’s short rolls and cuts, and Curry waiting in the corner for auxiliary 3 could be a huge weapon for Brooklyn. Do not bet that Carrie will stay cold. He is one of the best shooters in the world.
5. The Cavs acquire a second crack
Cleveland is not over yet. He will play with the winner of Wednesday’s Atlanta / Charlotte play-in match and whoever the Cavs get, they will take home. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley were great against Brooklyn. Garland got 34 points and Mobley was 9-to-13 from the field. Garland did just that in Brooklyn and the Cubs looked much better when they attacked early instead of being late for the shot clock. When that happens, Garland is the only guy who can reliably create a decent look. It seems that the flame has been extinguished in this season of the Cavs, which started so much fun and very promising. Losing Jarrett Allen and Ricky Rubio was a killer. But Atlanta and Charlotte are obviously winners. We will see what kind of determination Cleveland can gather on Friday.