Brooklyn prevails: Nets 102, C's 97

Starting in place of Rajon Rondo, Leandro Barbosa did a nice job of
running the show.

The Celtics almost pulled this one out, but the absence of Rajon Rondo proved to be key as they dropped a close one to the Nets 102-97. After an unimpressive first half, the Celtics were firing on all cylinders in the third and a good chunk of the fourth quarter. However, Doc Rivers had to use a lot of his timeouts early to keep the guys together, something he wouldn't have had to worry about if Rondo was on the court.

This game came down to late-game execution, an area that the Celtics had the advantage last night. From missed free throws by Paul Pierce and Jason Terry in the final minute, to missing open shots, the Celtics just could not put it all together.

The good:

* For the most part, Leandro Barbosa showed he could handle the starting point guard spot for tonight. He finished with 17 points, 2 steals, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.

* After allowing 15 offensive rebounds in the first half, the Celtics decided to do something about that. They actually boxed out and only allowed three offensive rebounds in the second half. The Nets' 18th and final offensive rebound turned out to be a dagger, as Brook Lopez gathered it and put it back up and in to give the Nets a 93-87 lead with just over a minute to go. Nonetheless, it was nice to see the Celtics correct something that needed to be fixed.

* The Celtics even closed the overall rebounding gap. They had 17 rebounds in the first compared to Brooklyn's 26, and in the end the Celtics managed to corral 44 to Brooklyn's 47. At one point in the third, the Celtics even held the advantage in this category.

* Just like last night, Paul Pierce turned it on in the third quarter. Pierce scored half (11) of his 22 points in the third.

* Courtney Lee did a nice job in the "everything" department.  Lee finished with 13 points, 9 rebounds (6 offensive), 3 assists, and 3 steals. However, he also did a great job in the "little things" department. If Comcast SportsNet New England had tonight's call, Lee would've received a boatload of Tommy points. Lee continuously fought for loose balls, kept balls alive, and got his nose down low on the offensive glass.


The bad:

* Free throws....free throws! In the fourth quarter, the Celtics went 2-of-6 from the line while the Nets managed to go 11-of-15. There's your ball game right there. You wouldn't expect that from a veteran team.

* The Celtics have to do a better job of defending down the stretch. Letting a team score 28 points in the final frame is not an ingredient to a win.


The Celtics will have Friday off before tipping off at 12:30 p.m. at the TD Garden on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors.