Nets vs Celtics

As the saying goes; it's all over but the shouting. The Brooklyn Nets are a mess, the Boston Celtics are playing fantastic basketball, and at the end of the ...

They just haven’t taken care of the rock and it’s bitten them in the butt over and over again. If you’re healthy, ready to contribute, and not at risk of further injury, then you should play in the playoffs. Simmons would have solved just about every problem that has popped up in this series for the Nets. With the Nets likely about to get swept, his absence looms even larger and is the perfect lead in to another offseason of uncertainty in Brooklyn. To some, playing someone that’s been out when the team is down 3-0 would befoolishor malpractice.

The Boston Celtics have clinched their spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals after their 116-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 of their ...

Smart fouls Durant in the back court, but remember, Boston is up 3. But Boston fought back for the win and did so as a team. In the grand scheme of things, Boston surviving the final 2:38 without Jayson Tatum doesn't change the magnitude of their victory. The Nets found Griffin too late, and they paid the price for it in this series. They may not sweep every round and they may not even reach the Finals. But what they did to a Nets team that was far better than it had any right to be considering its injuries was one of the more impressive feats we'll see this postseason. That's what happens when someone who's outside of your rotation becomes a key piece in the middle of a playoff series. They won the remainder of the series by seven. The Boston Celtics have clinched their spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals after their 116-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series. None of this is meant to undermine the Celtics. If anything, sweeping this specific Nets team in four close games is perhaps even more impressive than doing it in four blowouts. But before you fire off your jokes about the Nets getting swept, just keep in mind how close this series really was. There will be plenty of questions facing the Nets this offseason and it seems safe to say that they will have to deal with those questions much sooner than anyone had expected. Marcus Smart is the DPOY, but the man can ball on offense too.

Here's all you need to know ahead of the Nets' win-or-go-home Game 4 against the Boston Celtics.

Despite a week of reports that Simmons planned to make his Nets debut in Game 4, Brooklyn listed Simmons as out in the official injury report. The Nets will not be getting any help from Ben Simmons in the most important game of the season, either. The Brooklyn Nets‘ season is on the line in Game 4 on Monday night, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

You wouldn't know it from what we've seen in this series, but the Nets were preseason favorites to win the NBA title. As it turns out, championships aren't ...

To put it bluntly, the Nets are done. Throughout this series, the Nets are scoring just 1.08 points per possession. You wouldn’t know it from what we’ve seen in this series, but the Nets were preseason favorites to win the NBA title.

Get a recap of the Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets basketball game.

“But as far as an organization, we’re really pushing to support Ben in any way we can to help him improve physically and get back on the court, and then the mental side of that is part and parcel. Simmons cited mental health concerns as a reason he sought to leave Philadelphia and didn’t suit up for the 76ers this season. But he went to the bench with a fifth foul with 8:17 remaining and the Nets made a push that got them within three points about three minutes later. With Durant, Irving and James Harden, the Nets began the season as a team that looked potent enough to win their first NBA title. The Nets were down only 45-44 with 3:29 to play in the second quarter. The Celtics showed no fear of the Nets, who with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving didn't have the profile of the typical low seed.