November 21, 2025 • 17 mins
The Celtics’ offense looked uncharacteristically out of sorts during Friday night’s NBA Cup game against the Brooklyn Nets. It started out with missed shots, then turned into turnovers. However, strong games from Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta, plus a bolt of energy off the bench from Hugo Gonzalez, gave the Celtics a chance to pull off a monster comeback win. Boston just couldn’t finish it off, thanks in large part to Michael Porter Jr. taking over for the Nets.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Sound Off with me folks on an NBA Cup loss.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
To the Brooklyn Nets. Do I want to talk about
this game?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
No?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Am I gonna talk about this game?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Yes, because that is what we do here on the
sound Off postgame podcast presented by Exfinity Mobile. Now, this
game was a relatively ugly offensive game for the Boston Celtics. Okay,
they come out of the gates, shoot thirty seven percent
during the first quarter, then over the final three quarters
(00:38):
of the game they commit thirteen turnovers in those final
three quarters alone. It just felt like they couldn't get
into a rhythm. There was miscommunication happening across the board.
It just didn't seem for some reason, whatever that reason is,
that the players on the Celtics roster just weren't on
(00:59):
the same page tonight. Bottom line, that's what it felt
like from start to finish during this game. There was
no rhythm. The communication was not quite at a level
that we've seen out of this team over the past
couple of weeks when they won eight of their previous
twelve games. It just seemed like they just weren't on
the same page during this game. And it happens, right,
(01:19):
We're not gonna make excuses it happens to the best
teams in the league, but it certainly happened to the
Boston Celtics tonight. And on the other side of the ball,
the Brooklyn Nets did not.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Have the same issues.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
They scored seventy points during the middle quarters of this game,
forty during the second quarter, thirty during the third quarter.
In those two quarters are when this game changed again.
Thirteen turnovers for the Celtics over those final three quarters,
and during those two where the Nets made their run.
(01:53):
How many turnovers did the Celtics commit, I'm gonna tell
you right now, Six during the second quarter alone, in
the third quarter another five, So eleven turnovers during those
two quarters where the Nets wound up scoring seventy points,
ten points off turnovers during the third quarter, in another
(02:16):
ten off turnovers during the second quarter. So twenty of
those seventy points that the Brooklyn Nets scored during quarters
two and three were off of Boston's turnovers. You just
can't give extra possessions to a team that does not
have the same level of talent as you. And certainly
(02:37):
I think even the Nets in the back of their
minds they might not say it, but I think even
they know that the Celtics were the more talented team
that took the court tonight. We've also got to point
out that this was not Derek White's night. Okay, We've
come to expect very high things out of Derek White.
He's been a borderline All Star in the past couple
(02:58):
of seasons.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Wrote rose up from.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
What was it outside of the top one hundred in
terms of the NBA rank, rose up into what was
at twenty twenty eight, twenty nine something like that this season.
I can't remember the exact number, but he has risen
so far up the ranks. Everyone's come to expect a lot,
a lot out of him, and he simply did not
play well tonight. This might have been one of his
(03:22):
worst NBA performances of his career. Two for thirteen from
the field, had a turnover, was involved in a couple
of those miscommunications, missed a couple bunnies around the basket,
just things that you don't typically see out of a
player of Derek White's stature. And that's the type of
night it was for the Celtics, like no one really
(03:43):
had it going. I know that Jalen Brown wound up
leading the team and scored twenty six points on eighteen
shot attempts. But just outside of that, it really didn't
feel like anyone had it going. Nimias keda great job
crash in the glass. He had an excellent game from
that perspective, but no, no one really was able to
play at the level that we've come to expect at
(04:04):
both ends of the court, and for long durations of
this game, they were like brief stretches where either one
player or the team would give a little bit of
a signal that there was some life over there on
the Celtics side, and then that moment would fizzle away
and the Nets would go on a run.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
That being said, the Celtics did make a run.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
They somehow almost overcame Derek White's rough performance. They somehow
almost overcame those turnover woes and giving up seventy points
during the middle quarters.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
How Well, they.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Got a little bit of energy behind them, and it
started when Ugo Gonzalez was out on the courts to
start the fourth quarter. He injected a little bit of
energy into the team. The Celtics started forcing turnovers, they
started finishing possessions defensively, grabbing rebounds, forcing misses, their lead.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
The deficit was at eighteen points.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
During the final minute of the third court, the Celtics
went on a twenty two to six run to cut
that lead all the way down to two. Jordan Walsh
put home a dunk to cut that deficit all the
way down to two, and at that moment, it felt like,
my god, this all of these things that have gone
against the Celtics tonight, all of these things that they
(05:18):
haven't done well. It felt like they actually might pull
off this comeback win. And the crowd was do you
want to talk about a crowd pop? When Jordan Walsh
put that dunk home to bring this to a two
point game, the crowd was energized, like they were ready
to celebrate a monster comeback win. And that's when the
wheels fell off again for the Celtics. Those same things
(05:41):
that were creeping up throughout the first three quarters crept
back in during those critical moments when they could have
taken a lead, when they could have finished off this
comeback win. During those most critical critical moments, they either
couldn't get a stop or they couldn't put together a
good quality offensive possession. It just seemed like that miscommunication
(06:04):
came right back into the fold where not everyone was
on the same page, and they just weren't able to
execute strong and solid offensive possessions that would lead to
quality shots. Now, another critical stretch of this game began
when Jalen Brown picked up his fifth foul with just
(06:25):
under six minutes left during the third quarter. And I
know we already touched on that, but let's touch on
it again here. The Celtics challenged that call. It was
an offensive foul on Jalen Brown his elbow, his left
elbow made contact with the defender's face. However, the Celtics
challenged it. In my perspective, at least, it looked like
(06:47):
they were looking for an approximate foul that the defender
was going to be called for a defensive foul before
that elbow from Jalen Brown. The rest reviewed it, they
said not overturned. The call stands. So Jalen Brown did
pick up his fifth foul and therefore had to check
out of the game with five point fifty two left
(07:08):
in the third quarter. Now you're leaving the Celtics, the
team that's been struggling offensively, without their best player, without
their best scorer, without one of the league's most elite
scorers in consistent scorers this season. That put the Celtics
at a significant disadvantage as they went through that those
final about six minutes of the third quarter, and that's
(07:29):
when the Nets again went on their run and pulled
ahead by eighteen. Now, that was one challenge that didn't
go the Celtics way. Joe Mizula challenged it, the call
was upheld. Jalen Brown picks up his fifth foul heads
to the bench. Moments later, Jordi Fernandez, the head coach
of the Brooklyn Nets, he challenged a play that also
(07:50):
went against the Celtics. It was a foul when Anthony
Simons was taken a three pointer and a foul was called.
Said the defender hit him on the hand. He was
going to go to the line for three free throws. Now,
this is a guy who's a ninety percent free throw
shooter for his career. You've got to imagine he's going
to make those three free throws and continue to get
the Celtics back into the game. However, Jordi Fernandez wins
(08:14):
the challenge and right after that, Luca Garza was the
center on the floor for the Celtics, as we all know,
and I think he would admit not the most athletic
big man in the league or the longest big man
in the league in terms of reach in wingspan. He's
the guy that's got to do the jump ball for
the Celtics against Nick Claxton, one of the most athletic
longer centers in the league. Claxton won the jump ball
(08:38):
shortly thereafter the Nets scorer layup, and right there with
that challenge from Jordi Fernandez, that's a five point swing
right there. Okay, no free throws, no three free throws
for Anthony Simons, and then a layup at the other
end for the Brooklyn Nets. That moment is really when
the game started to change and really when things started
(09:00):
to go in Brooklyn's favor, and that's when they went
on that run to pull ahead by eighteen points, which
proved to be an insurmountable number for the Boston Celtics.
So there's two coaches challenges. I thought both of them
were good challenges. Joe Mizula has to challenge that, even
if he thinks they bite. Now when he has to
challenge that to try to preserve Jalen Brown's fifth foul,
(09:22):
keep him at four, keep him out on the court,
hopefully give the offense a chance. He just didn't win
the challenge. And then Jordi Fernandez did. It was a
great challenge. The defender did make contact, but it did
not interrupt the shooting stroke of Anthony Simons and therefore
it was not a foul. So right, there, two challenges,
two huge moments that lead to a five point swing
(09:43):
for the Brooklyn Nets, and then they went on a
run to finish the win from there. And look, you
gotta give credit where credit is, dude.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I know some of you out there might think that
I'm biased. I've got to say I watched the Brooklyn
Nets tonight. That did not look like a two to
twelve team. It didn't they they were a two and
twelve team entering this game. They did not play like
it tonight. They played like a team that was connected.
They played like a team that has elite athleticism, length,
(10:12):
defensive connectivity. And then Michael Porter Junior, as I said,
was the best player in the game, particularly at the
offensive end. Sixteen points during the fourth quarter alone, thirty
three points to lead the game overall. He was excellent
across the board, and really the Nets were as a team.
I was very impressed by what I saw from them tonight. Again,
(10:35):
that did not look like a two and twelve team.
Now did the Celtics allow them.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
To play that way?
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Sure you could make that argument that that could be
on the Celtics at least a little bit, maybe a
lot of it.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
But you got to give credit where credit is due.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
That Nets team played a very strong basketball game tonight.
And I've always said this. Brad Stevens used to use
this term as well. Every game in the end is
its own entity, and there's always talent on the other team.
You never know how that talent is gonna show up. Tonight,
the talent for the Brooklyn Nets showed up and played
(11:11):
a great game across the board. Got to give credit
where credit is due. The Celtics should have played better,
There's no question about that. Boston is a better team
than it showed tonight. But Brooklyn played well enough to
win the game regardless of that, So credit where credit
is due. A great game by the Brooklyn Nets. All right,
We're gonna take one comment from our fans tonight, because
(11:34):
most of them weren't feeling too fuzzy and warm.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
After this one.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
The Holliday Spirits certainly isn't feeling strong and Celtics nation
after this loss. So we're gonna take one comment. This
one's coming in from Charlie Gesner on a few observations
on what he thinks led to this loss.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
So Charlie, you're up here. Let's see what you got
to say.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
All right, As promised, the comment coming in from Charlie
Gesner says d White two for thirteen didn't help. Couldn't
defend Porter off the high pick and roll all night
Cada gave him too much space after the role all night.
Nice night from Simons who kept them in it. All right,
let's go one by one here, starting at the top
(12:15):
with Derek White two for thirteen. As I said, it
is difficult for any team to win when one of
your best players has a night like Derek White had
tonight two for thirteen, A turnover, missed some bunnies around
the rim. Listen, it's gonna happen. It was a clunker
for Derek White that was a big contributor to the
Celtics not winning this game. They still had a chance,
(12:35):
but it is so hard to win NBA games, when
one of your best players just simply doesn't play well.
Derek White had an off night tonight. It happens. Going
into the next part of this comment, couldn't defend Porter
off the high pick and roll all night, KTA gave
him too much space after the role all night. Certainly
we can't consider this right, Like, maybe the Celtics needed
(12:57):
to switch up their coverages a little bit. Maybe it
was just simply a fact of their defenders not executing
the coverage that Joe Missoula and his staff wanted them
to execute. There was one comment after this game about
the coaching staff not making any adjustments. Well, we don't know.
Maybe they might have made adjustments and the players just
didn't execute it. We were not in the huddles. We
(13:18):
don't know, Okay, So don't always make assumptions. It is
possible that the players just simply did not execute what
the coaching staff put together as a game plan or
as adjustments within the game. But it was Michael Porter
Junior put the pressure on the Celtics. He was great
on the perimeter with some catch and shoot three pointers.
(13:39):
He was great off the dribble with the pick and
roll and with this role that we're talking about here
from Charlie that Cada gave him too much space after
the role sometimes as a defender, and in particular a
seven foot defender, you're putting a tough spot tonight. Michael
Porter Junior was putting Cada in a tough spot all
night long, and the rest of the Celtics defense was
(14:02):
not able to adjust to help Cada in those situations.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Michael Porter Junior.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Made the shots that he was given and he is
a main reason why the Brooklyn Nets were able to
grab this win. Now, last comment here, nice night from
Anthony Simons who kept them in it. It's funny, maybe
not funny, but I turned to one of my coworkers
when Jalen Brown went out with his fifth follow and
I said, it's Anthony Simon's time. Like the Celtics need
(14:29):
an offensive punch, and Anthony Simons did his very best
to provide it. Wound up scoring twenty three points during
this game, ten of sixteen shooting from the field, and
much of that scoring did come during the second half,
seven points during the fourth quarter, thirteen points overall during
the second half, So he did try to give the
(14:50):
Celtics an opportunity to win this game, driving to the
basket like this wasn't just three pointers, and sometimes we've
seen him this season heat up from long distance. Tonight,
he was actually cooking going to the basket. That's how
he got the Celtics back into this game. Of those
thirteen points, none of them were from three point range.
He was putting pressure on the defense by getting to
(15:12):
the rim and making shots, making floaters, putting the ball
off the backboard with blowbye drives. So it was great
to see from him that when Jalen Brown went out,
he was able to step up and give the Celtics
a little bit of that offensive punch that they needed
to try to have an opportunity to win this game.
And they did have an opportunity to win this game.
(15:35):
They simply did not take advantage of that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Number One. Two things can be true.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
One is that they earned the opportunity to potentially win
this game they did that. Two is that they gave
away that opportunity once they got there. Okay, both of
those things can be true, and that is true of
what happened to the Boston Celtics tonight. Now, as is
always in the NBA, you don't have too long to
(16:02):
sit and sulk after a loss. Okay, this is a
tough one, but you out there, the Celtics down there
on the court. We're gonna be back on for a
game on Sunday, hosting the red Hot Orlando Magic.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
It's time to turn the page. Okay.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
The Celtics have already beaten this Magic team once down
in Orlando. A couple of great games, by the way,
that we saw down at the arena down there in Orlando,
and I'm estimating and I'm predicting that we're gonna see
another one, another good one here Sunday night. Tip off
is at six o'clock. That game is on NBC Sports Boston.
You can catch Brian Scalabrini and myself at five point
(16:39):
twenty in the afternoon and evening that day for a
pregame show from right back.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Here in the studio.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
We'll be previewing the game before we toss over to
Celtics pregame live on NBC Sports Boston. This has been
another episode of Sound Off with the Boston Celtics, presented
by Xfinity Mobile, and I hope to hear from you
again Sunday after the Celtics take on the orlanter met
Sound Off with me folks on an NBA Cup loss.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
To the Brooklyn Nets. Do I want to talk about
this game?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
No?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Am I gonna talk about this game?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Yes, because that is what we do here on the
sound Off postgame podcast presented by Exfinity Mobile. Now, this
game was a relatively ugly offensive game for the Boston Celtics. Okay,
they come out of the gates, shoot thirty seven percent
during the first quarter, then over the final three quarters
(00:38):
of the game they commit thirteen turnovers in those final
three quarters alone. It just felt like they couldn't get
into a rhythm. There was miscommunication happening across the board.
It just didn't seem for some reason, whatever that reason is,
that the players on the Celtics roster just weren't on
(00:59):
the same page tonight. Bottom line, that's what it felt
like from start to finish during this game. There was
no rhythm. The communication was not quite at a level
that we've seen out of this team over the past
couple of weeks when they won eight of their previous
twelve games. It just seemed like they just weren't on
the same page during this game. And it happens, right,
(01:19):
We're not gonna make excuses it happens to the best
teams in the league, but it certainly happened to the
Boston Celtics tonight. And on the other side of the ball,
the Brooklyn Nets did not.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Have the same issues.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
They scored seventy points during the middle quarters of this game,
forty during the second quarter, thirty during the third quarter.
In those two quarters are when this game changed again.
Thirteen turnovers for the Celtics over those final three quarters,
and during those two where the Nets made their run.
(01:53):
How many turnovers did the Celtics commit, I'm gonna tell
you right now, Six during the second quarter alone, in
the third quarter another five, So eleven turnovers during those
two quarters where the Nets wound up scoring seventy points,
ten points off turnovers during the third quarter, in another
(02:16):
ten off turnovers during the second quarter. So twenty of
those seventy points that the Brooklyn Nets scored during quarters
two and three were off of Boston's turnovers. You just
can't give extra possessions to a team that does not
have the same level of talent as you. And certainly
(02:37):
I think even the Nets in the back of their
minds they might not say it, but I think even
they know that the Celtics were the more talented team
that took the court tonight. We've also got to point
out that this was not Derek White's night. Okay, We've
come to expect very high things out of Derek White.
He's been a borderline All Star in the past couple
(02:58):
of seasons.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Wrote rose up from.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
What was it outside of the top one hundred in
terms of the NBA rank, rose up into what was
at twenty twenty eight, twenty nine something like that this season.
I can't remember the exact number, but he has risen
so far up the ranks. Everyone's come to expect a lot,
a lot out of him, and he simply did not
play well tonight. This might have been one of his
(03:22):
worst NBA performances of his career. Two for thirteen from
the field, had a turnover, was involved in a couple
of those miscommunications, missed a couple bunnies around the basket,
just things that you don't typically see out of a
player of Derek White's stature. And that's the type of
night it was for the Celtics, like no one really
(03:43):
had it going. I know that Jalen Brown wound up
leading the team and scored twenty six points on eighteen
shot attempts. But just outside of that, it really didn't
feel like anyone had it going. Nimias keda great job
crash in the glass. He had an excellent game from
that perspective, but no, no one really was able to
play at the level that we've come to expect at
(04:04):
both ends of the court, and for long durations of
this game, they were like brief stretches where either one
player or the team would give a little bit of
a signal that there was some life over there on
the Celtics side, and then that moment would fizzle away
and the Nets would go on a run.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
That being said, the Celtics did make a run.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
They somehow almost overcame Derek White's rough performance. They somehow
almost overcame those turnover woes and giving up seventy points
during the middle quarters.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
How Well, they.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Got a little bit of energy behind them, and it
started when Ugo Gonzalez was out on the courts to
start the fourth quarter. He injected a little bit of
energy into the team. The Celtics started forcing turnovers, they
started finishing possessions defensively, grabbing rebounds, forcing misses, their lead.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
The deficit was at eighteen points.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
During the final minute of the third court, the Celtics
went on a twenty two to six run to cut
that lead all the way down to two. Jordan Walsh
put home a dunk to cut that deficit all the
way down to two, and at that moment, it felt like,
my god, this all of these things that have gone
against the Celtics tonight, all of these things that they
(05:18):
haven't done well. It felt like they actually might pull
off this comeback win. And the crowd was do you
want to talk about a crowd pop? When Jordan Walsh
put that dunk home to bring this to a two
point game, the crowd was energized, like they were ready
to celebrate a monster comeback win. And that's when the
wheels fell off again for the Celtics. Those same things
(05:41):
that were creeping up throughout the first three quarters crept
back in during those critical moments when they could have
taken a lead, when they could have finished off this
comeback win. During those most critical critical moments, they either
couldn't get a stop or they couldn't put together a
good quality offensive possession. It just seemed like that miscommunication
(06:04):
came right back into the fold where not everyone was
on the same page, and they just weren't able to
execute strong and solid offensive possessions that would lead to
quality shots. Now, another critical stretch of this game began
when Jalen Brown picked up his fifth foul with just
(06:25):
under six minutes left during the third quarter. And I
know we already touched on that, but let's touch on
it again here. The Celtics challenged that call. It was
an offensive foul on Jalen Brown his elbow, his left
elbow made contact with the defender's face. However, the Celtics
challenged it. In my perspective, at least, it looked like
(06:47):
they were looking for an approximate foul that the defender
was going to be called for a defensive foul before
that elbow from Jalen Brown. The rest reviewed it, they
said not overturned. The call stands. So Jalen Brown did
pick up his fifth foul and therefore had to check
out of the game with five point fifty two left
(07:08):
in the third quarter. Now you're leaving the Celtics, the
team that's been struggling offensively, without their best player, without
their best scorer, without one of the league's most elite
scorers in consistent scorers this season. That put the Celtics
at a significant disadvantage as they went through that those
final about six minutes of the third quarter, and that's
(07:29):
when the Nets again went on their run and pulled
ahead by eighteen. Now, that was one challenge that didn't
go the Celtics way. Joe Mizula challenged it, the call
was upheld. Jalen Brown picks up his fifth foul heads
to the bench. Moments later, Jordi Fernandez, the head coach
of the Brooklyn Nets, he challenged a play that also
(07:50):
went against the Celtics. It was a foul when Anthony
Simons was taken a three pointer and a foul was called.
Said the defender hit him on the hand. He was
going to go to the line for three free throws. Now,
this is a guy who's a ninety percent free throw
shooter for his career. You've got to imagine he's going
to make those three free throws and continue to get
the Celtics back into the game. However, Jordi Fernandez wins
(08:14):
the challenge and right after that, Luca Garza was the
center on the floor for the Celtics, as we all know,
and I think he would admit not the most athletic
big man in the league or the longest big man
in the league in terms of reach in wingspan. He's
the guy that's got to do the jump ball for
the Celtics against Nick Claxton, one of the most athletic
longer centers in the league. Claxton won the jump ball
(08:38):
shortly thereafter the Nets scorer layup, and right there with
that challenge from Jordi Fernandez, that's a five point swing
right there. Okay, no free throws, no three free throws
for Anthony Simons, and then a layup at the other
end for the Brooklyn Nets. That moment is really when
the game started to change and really when things started
(09:00):
to go in Brooklyn's favor, and that's when they went
on that run to pull ahead by eighteen points, which
proved to be an insurmountable number for the Boston Celtics.
So there's two coaches challenges. I thought both of them
were good challenges. Joe Mizula has to challenge that, even
if he thinks they bite. Now when he has to
challenge that to try to preserve Jalen Brown's fifth foul,
(09:22):
keep him at four, keep him out on the court,
hopefully give the offense a chance. He just didn't win
the challenge. And then Jordi Fernandez did. It was a
great challenge. The defender did make contact, but it did
not interrupt the shooting stroke of Anthony Simons and therefore
it was not a foul. So right, there, two challenges,
two huge moments that lead to a five point swing
(09:43):
for the Brooklyn Nets, and then they went on a
run to finish the win from there. And look, you
gotta give credit where credit is, dude.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I know some of you out there might think that
I'm biased. I've got to say I watched the Brooklyn
Nets tonight. That did not look like a two to
twelve team. It didn't they they were a two and
twelve team entering this game. They did not play like
it tonight. They played like a team that was connected.
They played like a team that has elite athleticism, length,
(10:12):
defensive connectivity. And then Michael Porter Junior, as I said,
was the best player in the game, particularly at the
offensive end. Sixteen points during the fourth quarter alone, thirty
three points to lead the game overall. He was excellent
across the board, and really the Nets were as a team.
I was very impressed by what I saw from them tonight. Again,
(10:35):
that did not look like a two and twelve team.
Now did the Celtics allow them.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
To play that way?
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Sure you could make that argument that that could be
on the Celtics at least a little bit, maybe a
lot of it.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
But you got to give credit where credit is due.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
That Nets team played a very strong basketball game tonight.
And I've always said this. Brad Stevens used to use
this term as well. Every game in the end is
its own entity, and there's always talent on the other team.
You never know how that talent is gonna show up. Tonight,
the talent for the Brooklyn Nets showed up and played
(11:11):
a great game across the board. Got to give credit
where credit is due. The Celtics should have played better,
There's no question about that. Boston is a better team
than it showed tonight. But Brooklyn played well enough to
win the game regardless of that, So credit where credit
is due. A great game by the Brooklyn Nets. All right,
We're gonna take one comment from our fans tonight, because
(11:34):
most of them weren't feeling too fuzzy and warm.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
After this one.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
The Holliday Spirits certainly isn't feeling strong and Celtics nation
after this loss. So we're gonna take one comment. This
one's coming in from Charlie Gesner on a few observations
on what he thinks led to this loss.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
So Charlie, you're up here. Let's see what you got
to say.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
All right, As promised, the comment coming in from Charlie
Gesner says d White two for thirteen didn't help. Couldn't
defend Porter off the high pick and roll all night
Cada gave him too much space after the role all night.
Nice night from Simons who kept them in it. All right,
let's go one by one here, starting at the top
(12:15):
with Derek White two for thirteen. As I said, it
is difficult for any team to win when one of
your best players has a night like Derek White had
tonight two for thirteen, A turnover, missed some bunnies around
the rim. Listen, it's gonna happen. It was a clunker
for Derek White that was a big contributor to the
Celtics not winning this game. They still had a chance,
(12:35):
but it is so hard to win NBA games, when
one of your best players just simply doesn't play well.
Derek White had an off night tonight. It happens. Going
into the next part of this comment, couldn't defend Porter
off the high pick and roll all night, KTA gave
him too much space after the role all night. Certainly
we can't consider this right, Like, maybe the Celtics needed
(12:57):
to switch up their coverages a little bit. Maybe it
was just simply a fact of their defenders not executing
the coverage that Joe Missoula and his staff wanted them
to execute. There was one comment after this game about
the coaching staff not making any adjustments. Well, we don't know.
Maybe they might have made adjustments and the players just
didn't execute it. We were not in the huddles. We
(13:18):
don't know, Okay, So don't always make assumptions. It is
possible that the players just simply did not execute what
the coaching staff put together as a game plan or
as adjustments within the game. But it was Michael Porter
Junior put the pressure on the Celtics. He was great
on the perimeter with some catch and shoot three pointers.
(13:39):
He was great off the dribble with the pick and
roll and with this role that we're talking about here
from Charlie that Cada gave him too much space after
the role sometimes as a defender, and in particular a
seven foot defender, you're putting a tough spot tonight. Michael
Porter Junior was putting Cada in a tough spot all
night long, and the rest of the Celtics defense was
(14:02):
not able to adjust to help Cada in those situations.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Michael Porter Junior.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Made the shots that he was given and he is
a main reason why the Brooklyn Nets were able to
grab this win. Now, last comment here, nice night from
Anthony Simons who kept them in it. It's funny, maybe
not funny, but I turned to one of my coworkers
when Jalen Brown went out with his fifth follow and
I said, it's Anthony Simon's time. Like the Celtics need
(14:29):
an offensive punch, and Anthony Simons did his very best
to provide it. Wound up scoring twenty three points during
this game, ten of sixteen shooting from the field, and
much of that scoring did come during the second half,
seven points during the fourth quarter, thirteen points overall during
the second half, So he did try to give the
(14:50):
Celtics an opportunity to win this game, driving to the
basket like this wasn't just three pointers, and sometimes we've
seen him this season heat up from long distance. Tonight,
he was actually cooking going to the basket. That's how
he got the Celtics back into this game. Of those
thirteen points, none of them were from three point range.
He was putting pressure on the defense by getting to
(15:12):
the rim and making shots, making floaters, putting the ball
off the backboard with blowbye drives. So it was great
to see from him that when Jalen Brown went out,
he was able to step up and give the Celtics
a little bit of that offensive punch that they needed
to try to have an opportunity to win this game.
And they did have an opportunity to win this game.
(15:35):
They simply did not take advantage of that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Number One. Two things can be true.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
One is that they earned the opportunity to potentially win
this game they did that. Two is that they gave
away that opportunity once they got there. Okay, both of
those things can be true, and that is true of
what happened to the Boston Celtics tonight. Now, as is
always in the NBA, you don't have too long to
(16:02):
sit and sulk after a loss. Okay, this is a
tough one, but you out there, the Celtics down there
on the court. We're gonna be back on for a
game on Sunday, hosting the red Hot Orlando Magic.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
It's time to turn the page. Okay.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
The Celtics have already beaten this Magic team once down
in Orlando. A couple of great games, by the way,
that we saw down at the arena down there in Orlando,
and I'm estimating and I'm predicting that we're gonna see
another one, another good one here Sunday night. Tip off
is at six o'clock. That game is on NBC Sports Boston.
You can catch Brian Scalabrini and myself at five point
(16:39):
twenty in the afternoon and evening that day for a
pregame show from right back.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Here in the studio.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
We'll be previewing the game before we toss over to
Celtics pregame live on NBC Sports Boston. This has been
another episode of Sound Off with the Boston Celtics, presented
by Xfinity Mobile, and I hope to hear from you
again Sunday after the Celtics take on the orlanter met
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