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This crazy stat puts Celtics’ Game 1 win vs. Nets into perspective originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Were the Boston Celtics lucky to win Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon?
It depends on how you look at it.
On one hand, the Celtics led for large stretches of the game and did an excellent job defending Nets superstar Kevin Durant. Boston also outrebounded Brooklyn by a 43-29 margin and dominated scoring in the paint by a 56-32 margin. Despite those advantages, it took a buzzer-beating layup from Jayson Tatum to secure a 115-114 victory.
Forsberg: Why Tatum’s buzzer-beater is a crucial step forward for C’s
That said, the Celtics couldn’t defend Nets superstar Kyrie Irving, who exploded for a game-high 39 points. The Nets also shot an impressive 53.8 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from the 3-point line.
In fact, the Celtics had lost 16 consecutive games entering Sunday when the opponent shot 53.8 percent or better, per Sean Grande of 98.5 The Sports Hub.
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The Celtics emerging from Game 1 with a win after allowing the Nets to shoot such a high percentage is pretty impressive. The C’s had a bunch of good defensive moments, including a couple blocks on Durant shot attempts, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
Game 2 is Wednesday night at TD Garden.
