Three Takeaways From the Nets' Blowout Loss to the Celtics

The Brooklyn Nets (15-44) hit the road for a tough matchup at TD Garden against the Boston Celtics (39-20).

Losers of six games in a row, the Nets were looking to pick up their first win in over two weeks. It was a difficult matchup against the Celtics, who have been rolling as of late. Boston kept the good vibes going with a 148-111 demolition of the Nets on Friday night.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Nets road loss to the Celtics:

Josh Minott Flashes

In just his second game as a Net and taking on his former team, Josh Minott turned in a nice performance on Friday. The 23-year-old forward finished the game with nine points and two rebounds in 16 minutes. His big highlight was a massive poster slam in the second quarter, which brought a ton of life and energy to the Brooklyn bench.

Minott may not be anything special, but he's young enough to have fans fawning over his potential. He's a lengthy wing with some good defensive upside and an intriguing offensive skillset. With the tank on the rest of the way, the Nets should see what they have with the former Celtic. He could turn into a decent bench option in the near future.

Nets' Brutal Third Quarter

A floater from Nolan Traore cut Boston's lead to six with seven and a half minutes to play in the third quarter. The Nets were in the game and potentially ready to spring the upset. Then everything changed. Boston ended the quarter on a 30-10 run to blow the game open, shutting the door on Brooklyn's upset bid.

The Nets' defense was awful in the back half of the quarter, as the Celtics were basically able to run a layup line to the rim for easy buckets. The offense went stagnant and committed way too many turnovers, which Boston took advantage of. This was one of the worst quarters of the entire season for Brooklyn, which is saying something.

Grant Nelson Debuts

Coming off a successful stint in the G-League, former Alabama standout Grant Nelson made his NBA debut on Friday for the Nets. In ten garbage time minutes late, Nelson showed off some nice things, finishing with three points, four assists, and two blocks.

Nelson was a two-year starter at Alabama, where he averaged nearly 12 points and seven boards a game. The 6-foot-11, 230-pound forward averaged over a block a game while shooting over 50% from the field in college. If he can improve his three-point stroke, the Nets may have something in him. He played with a ton of effort and energy despite the lopsided score, which will endear him to his teammates very quickly.