The Celtics beat up on the Nets, 105-85. No real surprise here, the Celts were in control. The thing that was really surprising about it was the lack of effort from New Jersey. They are no where near the talent level of Boston, but they could have put more effort into their play. Even though this was an odd start time for a Saturday game, there are no excuses.
Lawerence Frank benched Devin Harris and Vince Carter for the second half. I’m sure you’ll see this headline around most news sites. It was the right thing to do though. If someone’s not playing well, whether it be a star, or not, he has the right to sit them. I would have done the same thing, except maybe half way through the third quarter.
While the Nets game was an overall negative, I got a good look at Brook Lopez. He had one of his better games and he showed he has a wide skill set. His jump shot went in consistently, his range goes out to the circle ahead of the three point line. If he can keep improving the mid-range game and his footwork in the post, he can be a nice offensive player. On defense, he just needs to learn to be tough all the time, no lapses.
This should help get the Celtics back on track. They got a nice win without getting the big three a lot of run. If they don’t watch their backs, the Magic may creep up on them (they’ve now swept the Lakers and Spurs in the season series).