NEW YORK _ Before the Celtics took on the Nets Saturday night at Barclays Center Boston coach Brad Stevens noted that his team had trouble earlier this season controlling Nets All-Star D'Angelo Russell in the third quarter. He could not have been more prophetic as Russell scored 20 of his 29 points in the third quarter to turn a tight game into a comfortable 110-96 victory.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Nets (39-38). In addition to his scoring, Russell added 10 assists, and the Nets got 15 points from Caris LeVert and 13 apiece from DeMarre Carroll and Joe Harris. Gordon Hayward topped the Celtics (45-32) with 19 points.
After building a 19-point lead thanks to Russell's fireworks, the Nets let it shrink to 10 early in the fourth quarter while he sat on the bench. Nets coach Kenny Atkinson put Russell back in the game with 9:02 left, hoping the spark he had provided had not been extinguished.
Russell proceeded to light it up again, but this time with his playmaking. During a 12-6 burst, Russell threw a lob pass to Joe Harris for a pretty alley-oop layup and then hit LeVert with a pocket pass in the paint for another easy layup that expanded the Nets' lead to 100-84 with 6:48 left.
Interviewed on the floor after the game, Russell said the home "atmosphere was amazing, and we're going to need you fans."
The Nets were playing at home for the first time since their stirring blowout win over the Pistons on March 11 that elevated them to sixth place at three games over .500. They returned from their seven-game trip in seventh at an even .500 and hoping that three straight at home might help them regain traction even though they are facing the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets caught a break when the Celtics chose to rest veterans Kyrie Irving and Al Horford on the second half of a back-to-back since they have clinched a playoff berth. Asked before the game about the key to making the most of a sellout home crowd, Atkinson said, "Just got to get our juice back after the long trip. Hopefully, that kind of played itself out in Philly (in a Thursday loss to the 76ers). We're going to need all our energy, all our physical and mental resources to get a win against an excellent team."
After a slow start, the Nets scored nine straight points for an early 14-12 lead, but the Celtics went on a 16-3 run to build a 28-17 cushion early in the second period. During that span, their defense held the Nets to 1-of-8 shooting and forced three turnovers. It didn't help that rookie starting power forward Rodions Kurucs also left the game with a right knee contusion.
But midway through the second period, the Nets' offense found its stride, putting together a 17-3 run that included five points apiece from Carroll, Harris and Levert to regain a six-point lead that they let slip to 49-48 at halftime.
Given the taut defensive nature of the game, it seemed the Nets just were looking for an offensive spark to take over, and they got it from Russell in the third quarter. He opened the third quarter by making a three and proceeded to hit four of those and score all 20 of his points in the period during the 27-9 run that gave the Nets their biggest lead at 76-57.
But Atkinson stuck with his normal rotation and pulled Russell with 4:15 left in the period and the Nets holding an 18-point lead. It shrank to 12 by the end of the period as the Nets made only one of seven shots, committed a turnover and hit just 2 of 4 foul shots.
