Nets-Celtics Game 5 recap: Star of the game, key stat, turning point, more
James Harden #13 and Kevin Durant #7 of the Nets talk during a timeout against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the First Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Credit: Steven Ryan
The final
Nets 123, Celtics 109. Nets win series 4-1.
Deciding points
The Nets’ Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden combined for 426 points in five games, an average of 85.2 per game.
Star of the game
Harden with a triple-double.
Key statistic
Celtics star Jayson Tatum scored a combined 90 points in Games 3 and 4, but the Nets held him to a respectable 32 points on 12-for-27 shooting in Game 5.
Turning point
The Nets opened the fourth quarter with an 11-5 surge that ended with a three-point play by Harden for a 97-84 lead with 8:36 left. Originally, Harden was called for an offensive foul that would have been his fifth, but Nets coach Steve Nash challenged and won a crucial reversal.
Did you notice?
The Nets closed out strongly on the Celtics’ three-point shooters, holding them to 27.5% on 11-for-40 shooting including a miserable effort from Marcus Smart, who was 1 of 10 from above the arc.
Injury report
Kemba Walker (bone bruise, knee) and Robert Williams III (left ankle sprain) each missed their second straight game for the Celtics. Jeff Green (left plantar fascia strain) and Alize Johnson (left ankle sprain) remained out for the Nets.
Other news
Nets coach Steve Nash on fan violence: "This type of stuff is happening more frequently now in an NBA playoff context, but this type of stuff has happened forever. We’ve had a little cluster of events that are unacceptable and that I’d like not to be a part of the experience at our games, but there’s not always a magic pill. I don’t know what we can do in the short-term other than banning people."
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
