NBA: Celtics own customary Atlantic Division lead as they visit Nets

During their first month without Jayson Tatum due to an Achilles tendon injury, the Boston Celtics hovered around the .500 mark. Since then, the team has improved dramatically and now sits among the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Boston heads to New York on Friday to face the Brooklyn Nets, who are coming off one of the worst losses in franchise history.

The Celtics have gone 17-7 since a four-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 29 left them at 10-9. This stretch included a strong run of 13 wins in 16 games from Nov. 30 to Jan. 5. Although Boston has split its last eight games, the Celtics have taken advantage of the New York Knicks’ recent struggles to move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

“We’re halfway through the season, and we’re second in the East,” Celtics wing Jaylen Brown said. “So that’s just a testament to the work ethic, the resiliency of our head coach, and leadership. It’s a testament to where we are right now.”

Boston earned its third win in four games on Wednesday, defeating the Indiana Pacers 119-104 at home after building a 20-point halftime lead. Brown scored 30 points and has recorded at least 25 points in nine of his last 10 games, including a 50-point performance on Jan. 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Over his past 20 games, Brown has averaged 31.3 points per game. His 11-of-22 shooting performance against the Pacers marked the 19th time he has shot at least 50% this season. He has also been drawing more fouls, with 51 free-throw attempts in his last six games. The Celtics have averaged 25.5 free-throw attempts over their last four contests.

Brown previously scored 29 points on Nov. 18 when Boston pulled away late to beat Brooklyn 113-99. The Nets responded with a 113-105 win three days later in Boston, but the Celtics have won 15 of the last 17 regular-season meetings.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn is struggling badly. After winning seven of 10 games from Dec. 1–27, the Nets are now on a 2-11 slide.

Six of those losses were by double digits, but none was as lopsided as Wednesday’s 120-66 defeat to the Knicks. It was Brooklyn’s second-largest loss in team history, and they scored fewer than 70 points for only the 22nd time in franchise history. The 66 points were the lowest the Nets have scored since a 90-65 loss to the Miami Heat on March 12, 2005.

“This was a tough one, but show up the next day and have positive energy and work and get better and go out there and compete,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. “I have to help them better, players are not responsible for it, so I got to make sure that they understand the values that we have and how we want to play, and we’ll work together.”

Brooklyn’s slow starts have been a major issue. The Nets trailed 38-20 in the first quarter on Wednesday and have been outscored 117-68 over their last three opening quarters. They have entered the second quarter trailing by double digits six times during this 13-game stretch.

Michael Porter Jr. was limited to 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting against the Knicks. He has shot 41.4% over his last six games while playing through a sprained knee sustained in a Jan. 7 loss to the Orlando Magic, where he scored 34 points.

—Field Level Media/Reuters