The Brooklyn Nets were NBA title favorites for much of the 2021-22 season, and even in February after the Ben Simmons-James Harden trade. So that makes it particularly eye-opening that the Nets, a team featuring superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, didn’t win a single playoff game.
The Boston Celtics beat the Nets 116-112 in Game 4 on Monday night to complete a four-game sweep in the first round.
Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston with 29 points, but he fouled out with just over three minutes remaining on a very questionable call.
Jaylen Brown (22) and Marcus Smart (20) also scored 20-plus points for Boston.
Durant scored 39 for Brooklyn but he was very inefficient from the field (13-of-31 from the field, 3-11 on threes). He went 10-of-11 from the charity stripe, but his one miss turned into a series-crushing sequence.
After Durant missed the second of two free throws with 22.2 seconds remaining, Boston went down to the other end and scored to take a 113-109 lead.
Irving had 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting for Brooklyn.
The Nets’ Nic Claxton had a record-breaking poor performance at the free-throw line, going 1-for-11 (he went 6-for-6 from the field, though).
The status of Simmons was a big topic of conversation entering this game (and all season), and it turns out he wasn’t even in attendance for Game 4.
As others have noted, Ben Simmons is not on Nets' bench tonight. I'm told he's not at the arena, because of his ongoing back issues.
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) April 25, 2022
So, this concludes a monumentally disappointing season for the Nets.
The Celtics, on the other hand, continue to play scorching-hot basketball and look like a legitimate NBA title threat. Barring a stunning series comeback by the Chicago Bulls, the Celtics will take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. That would be one of the best series (if not *the* best series) of the entire 2021-22 NBA postseason.
The basketball world has had plenty to say about Game 4 and the Celtics sweeping the Nets. Here are some examples:
The Nets were the no. 1 title favorites before the season started.
They are the only team to be swept this playoffs. pic.twitter.com/5BHAwy4mlB
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 26, 2022
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) April 26, 2022
officially the new era
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) April 26, 2022
The Lakers and Nets seeing each other in Cancun pic.twitter.com/NZsCtrEyLj
— RingerNBA (@ringernba) April 26, 2022
*When people said the #Celtics should avoid the Nets* pic.twitter.com/KWf5QrS2nW
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 26, 2022
The 2021-22 Brooklyn Nets pic.twitter.com/gyPgRqy0PH
— Whistle (@WhistleSports) April 26, 2022
The Bulls won more playoff games than the Nets lol
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 26, 2022
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.