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The Brooklyn Nets finally know who their opponent will be in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Kyrie Irving will square off against his former team, the Boston Celtics. The Celtics beat Russell Westbrook and the Washington Wizards easily 118-100 on Tuesday thanks to a 50-point performance from their All-Star Jayson Tatum. With that loss, the Wizards will have to beat the Indiana Pacers on Thursday to secure a playoff spot.
As if there isn’t already enough hype surrounding the matchup between Boston and Brooklyn, this will be the first time that Nets’ point guard will play in front of the Celtics fans at TD Garden since leaving the franchise to join the Nets in 2019.
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Celtics Fans Are Hyped To Face Brooklyn
Celtics fans are already pumped for their matchup with the Nets. In the middle of Boston’s blowout win over the Wizards, “we want Brooklyn” chants rang out from the rafters at TD Garden as the Boston faithful wanted to let the Nets know that they are ready for all the smoke.
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Nets Will Have Their Hands Full With Jayson Tatum
With Celtics’ All-Star Jaylen Brown out for the playoffs after having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his wrist, the Nets defensive focus will be Tatum who is a walking bucket every time he touches the floor. Nobody knows that more than Wizards’ star Bradley Beal who had the defensive assignment of checking Tatum during Tuesday’s play-in game. Beal learned first-hand that guarding Tatum is no easy task.
“It didn’t matter who was in front of him,” Beal told reporters after the game per ESPN. “That is something I have been trying to tell his a** for years. It’s tough when you guard him. He’s 6-9, he can get his shot off, he’s strong and can shoot the ball.”
As a 6’9 forward, Tatum has guard skills which give him an advantage over most defenders because he can shoot over the top of most guards or use his quickness as an advantage to get by most bigs. His special set of skills makes him a nightmare to defend.
“He’s a three-level scorer. So, you got to respect everything he does on the floor. I know a lot of his moves, and a lot of it I was there, but I am only 6-3. I wish I was 6-9 with robotic arms,” Beal continued.
“He’s a special talent, and I have been saying that since he was in diapers. It doesn’t surprise me.”
Kyrie Returns to Boston for the First Time as a Net
It is no secret that Kyrie’s exit from Boston could have gone a lot smoother than it did. After all but guaranteeing that he would re-sign with Boston before the 2018-19 season, injuries and multiple off-the-court issues led to Kyrie ultimately signing with the Nets that following summer. Now he gets to face off against his former squad in a situation where the stakes could not be higher as the 7-time All-Star is eyeing his second NBA title.
Winning the title this year will not be an easy task for Brooklyn. Just like the regular season, everyone will be bringing their A-game when facing the Nets in the playoffs. It’s gut-check time as the Nets kick off the playoffs against the Celtics on Saturday night.
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