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NY Post
New York Post
4 Mar 2023


NextImg:Mikal Bridges leads Nets in NBA’s biggest comeback of season to stun Celtics

BOSTON – The old Nets essentially died in last month’s trip to Boston.

The new-look Nets may have been born there Friday night.

Brooklyn – struggling mightily since trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving – broke a four-game skid with their first signature win of their post-superstar era. And they did it by storming back from a huge hole for a 115-105 victory before a stunned sellout crowd of 19,156 at TD Garden.

Trailing by 28 in the second quarter, the Nets (34-28) used a 51-19 blitz that spanned intermission and flipped the game. It was also a template of what they hope to look like going forward, led by rising Mikal Bridges and a young core.

Mikal Bridges (1) shoots over Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) during the first half at TD Garden.
USA TODAY Sports

Mikal Bridges, left, is fouled by Jayson Tatum during the first half.

Mikal Bridges, left, is fouled by Jayson Tatum during the first half.
AP

The 28-point rally by the Nets matches the largest comeback victory in franchise history, previously done on Feb 16, 2022 at the Knicks and March 19 2019 at Sacramento.

In a Feb. 1 visit to TD Garden, Brooklyn had been blitzed 139-96 by the Celtics. Irving had talked wistfully of his time in Boston, vowed to find a way to beat them, and then demanded a trade two days later. That precipitated Durant’s departure, and the breakup of their supposed superteam.

“I try to keep it real simple with our guys and not complicate it,” said Jacque Vaughn. “The goal is every single night we’re trying to win the basketball game. That’s the goal (every) night and then we’ll handle whatever happens next.

“I haven’t addressed where we are in the standings with our guys, what’s a week from now, I really don’t want them even looking that far ahead. For us, our gameplan is dedicated to (Boston) and trying to give what we have.”

They gave enough.

In their return to the scene, they gave their first hint of a promising future. They’d lost six of seven since Bridges and Cam Johnson arrived. But the former poured in a game-high 38 points and ten rebounds – shaking of a minor tweak to take over and look every bit the part of a building block.

The latter shook off a slow start to add 20 points on his birthday.

Boston (45-18) was led by Jaylen Brown’s 35.

Brooklyn had to dig out of a hole – make that a canyon – of their own making.

Spencer Dinwiddie (26) drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics' Al Horford, foreground, during the first half Friday, March 3, 2023, in Boston.

Spencer Dinwiddie (26) drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics’ Al Horford, foreground, during the first half Friday, March 3, 2023, in Boston.
AP

They trailed 13-3 right out of the gate, and it was 35-13 after a Derrick White layup with 1:51 left in the first quarter.

Brooklyn’s deficit swelled to 51-23 on a Jaylen Brown layup – yes, it was a procession to the rim – with 7:23 remaining in the half. But they picked up the defensive energy, got out and run with tempo and pace.

Getting either transition buckets or dangerous early offense, the Nets mounted a 51-19 blitz that spanned the half.

Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith had come over from Dallas for Irving, and the former found the latter for a corner 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, sending the Nets into the locker room down just 64-55.

Johnson’s free throw put Brooklyn ahead, and center Nic Claxton capped the run and handed them a 74-70 lead.

Cameron Johnson (2) drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics' Derrick White (9) during the first half.

Cameron Johnson (2) drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics’ Derrick White (9) during the first half.
AP

Bridges coming up gimpy after driving past White was about the only setback of the blitz. But when he came back out on the parquet floor minutes later and continued his onslaught of the Celtics, Brooklyn fans could exhale.

The Nets – who couldn’t buy a basket early on – hit 65 percent, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. And they were sparked by a suddenly-harassing defense that held the Celtics to just nine-of-25 from the floor.

Dinwiddie padded the lead up to 106-90 on a step-back 3 with 6:54 to play. The rest was garbage time – but shockingly, Brooklyn was on the right end of it.