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The Top 5 Plays from Sunday's Celtics-Nets Game
Jaylen Brown's turning a block into a bucket, Derrick White denying Kyrie Irving, and Jayson Tatum putting the finishing touches on Boston's win headline the breakdown of the top five plays from Sunday's Celtics-Nets game.
Derrick White Denies Kyrie Irving
Derrick White does well to stay in front of Kyrie Irving after his initial reach. But then, he doesn't drop deep enough to wall off Irving's drive. The latter swipes his arm and beats White off the dribble, getting into the paint.
Irving takes a sharp angle to the rim, but White times his jump perfectly and utilizes every inch of his 6'7.5 wingspan to swat Irving's layup from behind.
Jaylen Brown Registers the Block and the Bucket
Jaylen Brown does an excellent job closing to Joe Harris, getting to him just before he leaves the ground. Once airborne, Brown twists his body to avoid fouling and negate Harris jumping into him to shield the ball from him as he goes up for the layup. With the hard work taken care of, Brown registers the block.
At the other end of the court, Brown and Grant Williams come up as if they're going to set high ball screens on both sides of Kevin Durant. They then crisscross, flaring out to the wings. Irving's slow to react, then does a poor job closing out, making it easy for Williams to drive middle.
With Royce O'Neale rotating over, Williams passes up an opportunity for a layup or a dunk, kicking the ball to Al Horford in the corner. That forces Harris to close to him, and Horford swings the ball to Brown, who's unfazed by Irving's contest, burying the three from the left wing.
Malcolm Brogdon's Old-School Three-Point Play
It starts with Malcolm Brogdon crashing the glass and grabbing the offensive rebound off a missed three by Grant Williams. Brogdon waits for Sam Hauser to loop to the corner, taking T.J. Warren with him, then attacks Harris off the dribble, outmuscling him to get into the paint while securing the ball with two hands to keep Seth Curry from poking it free.
With Durant not moving toward the rim, his contest does nothing to affect Brogdon's layup, as the latter earns two points plus a foul. He then tacked on the extra point at the free-throw line.
Jaylen Brown Glides to the Rim
In the play above, the ball slips out from Durant, who committed eight turnovers in the loss. Brown beats him to it, scoops up the loose change, then glides through the air as he arrives at the rim, even sticking his tongue out, perhaps an homage to Michael Jordan, before throwing down a thunderous one-handed slam.
Jayson Tatum Puts the Finishing Touches on Boston's Win
The sequence above starts at the end of a well-designed play where Jayson Tatum sets an off-ball screen for Jaylen Brown, then dives to the basket. Brogdon hits him in stride, and Tatum's able to finish without needing a dribble, leaping from left to right for a layup off the glass.
At the other end, you can see Tatum's ready to strike, then lunges at Durant when he brings the ball from right to left. Tatum comes up with the cookies and cake walks his way to a two-handed jam to help close out Sunday's win.
Further Reading
The Top 5 Plays from Friday's Celtics-Heat Game
Al Horford Signs Contract Extension That Paves the Way for Him to Finish His Career as a Celtic
Here's Where Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Each Ranked in Latest MVP Ladder
Are Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Best Duo in NBA? Celtics Star Weighs in
