Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant help the Nets get over the Celtics: 5 to eat

The Boston Celtics made another unusual pre-season effort on Friday, falling to the Brooklyn Nets 113-89.

Here are five dishes from Kyrie Irving’s impressive return to an empty TD garden.

As Tatum goes, so does the Celtics

This was also true last year, but it may be even more pronounced this season – especially at the beginning of the walk with Kemba.

Like Tuesday’s pre-season opener, the Celtics got off to a strong start with Tatum in the game. Like on Tuesday, the wheels came loose when Tatum was taken out. He helped somewhat to straighten the ship when he returned and finished +5 in 26 minutes in a game the Celtics lost by 24.

Tatum didn’t even have a particularly effective game – he finished 5-for-17 from the field and a senseless 2-for-9 from deep. But he reached the line eight times (7-for-8) and gave up three assists, and the threat of his offense opened up opportunities for others.

Aaron Nesmith can really shoot (just don’t ask him to dribble)

Payton Pritchard looked impressive in the opener, with a less impressive following (2-for-9 upstairs, 1-for-6 out of three, five points in total), but Nesmith, the other Celtics debutant, showed flashes of a player worthy of a late lottery selection.

First, Nesmith can shoot. He is not very creative, but he is very comfortable behind the 3-point bow and can hit with a few dribbles to buy some space. In addition to burying a triple, Nesmith hit a few jumps and a pair of free throws to finish with nine points.

But Nesmith’s agitation was also noticeable. He is not yet a firm defender (few beginners are, and even fewer will be this year, with the pre-season shortened.) He has created a pair of second chance opportunities with pure force and often moves without the ball, which is will open up interesting looks for teammates.

The Nets look like a real threat in the East

This has always been a possibility – the only question was whether Kevin Durant could find his old self after breaking his Achilles tendon in the 2019 NBA Finals.

The answer seems to be an emphatic yes. Durant parted ways with the Celtics and watched the superstar before the injury. Boston’s defense has always fallen apart, but Durant played an important role, and the children should have turned a blind eye. The Brooklyn stars continued against Boston’s second (and third) unit in the third quarter. .

The combination of Durant and Kyrie Irving gives the Nets a lot of superstar power. All role players seem to make sense in their roles. It’s just the pre-season, which is a truism that should be respected by both sides of this explosion, but the Nets look very legitimate.

Javonte Green could be a start-gap

For the second game in a row, Green opened the game at the starting line with Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Daniel Theis. Green’s defense is interesting in that unit, he is an impressive athlete, but he is also a player who sometimes forces turnover and sometimes makes mistakes. The other players in that line are strong enough to make a difference, which could be what Brad Stevens likes in terms of appearance.

It will be interesting to see how Stevens looks at the amazement of the best players in Boston – Tatum, Brown and Smart – with Walker out. Jeff Teague’s defense leaves much to be desired, but he has taken the second unit offensively and may be worth examining with beginners when they are engaged in the defensive end.

The crime of the Celts broke out terribly

Most of Friday’s Celtics story can be told from their 3-point numbers: they picked up 45 triples and made just eight of them (17.8%). Teams that score a lot of 3 points are often successful, but only if they make a few.

As Jaylen Brown noted after the game, Celtics missed a few shots they could have made.

“It wasn’t like the defense was stifled,” Brown said. “We have open eyes and we have to tear them down – we walk with confidence and tear them down. I think if we can do that, the narrative is a little different. “

However, Brad Stevens praised the Nets juxtaposed effort against Boston.

“Obviously, we felt we were missing some open ones, but at the same time they played with more goals,” Stevens said. “Sometimes the ball comes in when you play with that kind of intent and purpose.”