Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts during the first half of an NBA game against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
The Boston Celtics look to bounce back from their first home loss of the NBA season when they entertain the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
The Celtics lost their second game of this campaign on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, 118-112.
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Jayson Tatum, who was underutilized by Warriors coach Steve Kerr during the Paris Olympics this past summer, scored 32 points after starting 2-for-7 in the first half. Boston rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half, but it was not enough.
READ: NBA: Stephen Curry puts up 27 as red-hot Warriors dump Celtics
“It’s just the little things that we’re going to look back at and be disappointed with ourselves because we definitely could have controlled that outcome,” Celtics guard Payton Pritchard said after the rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals.
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Derrick White added 26 points. Neemias Queta had 14 points with eight rebounds and two blocks in a career-high 28 minutes off the bench.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) talks to the referee during the first half against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
The Celtics, though, played a third straight game without Jaylen Brown due to a strained hip flexor — an injury that coach Joe Mazzulla has little concern about. Luke Kornet experienced right hamstring tightness on Wednesday.
The two recent losses from the lineup have opened the door for Queta, who made only his second career start against the Warriors. His presence was especially felt defensively.
READ: Celtics fans boo Steve Kerr over Tatum’s Olympic playing time
“He’s doing a good job just understanding tendencies,” Mazzulla said. “He’s doing a good job executing the coverages that we have. He forced (Steph Curry) inside a three a couple times to his right hand. … He’s definitely growing.”
The Nets have been idle since a 106-104 home victory Monday over the Memphis Grizzlies, which was their third in four games to move back to an even .500.
“There’s a grit, you know?” Cam Johnson said. “Two of our wins have come on the second night of a back-to-back, which I don’t think we had great success with in the past. … We’re finding ways to win and finding ways to be tough and figured that part of the game out.”
READ: NBA: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown help Celtics down Hornets
Johnson and Dennis Schroder each had 20 points against Memphis. Schroder added six assists.
Looking ahead, coach Jordi Fernandez should also be able to put out his healthiest lineup of the season come Friday, as Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton both practiced on Wednesday.
Claxton made his first start Monday since returning from a hamstring injury.
Simmons, who has been dealing with a back injury, sat out in the second of a back-to-back. He had been playing center during some of Claxton’s absence.
“He is physically getting where he’s supposed to be, and those attempts need to go up. Because then we are all going to benefit from it,” Fernandez said of Simmons. “I don’t care about makes-misses. I just want to see shots going up. He’s more than capable of doing it, so he’ll get there for sure.”
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Brooklyn is 2-0 in the second game of a back-to-back after going 4-10 in such games last season. The current road trip includes another, when the Nets leave Boston for a Saturday showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who carry a 9-0 record into Friday’s visit from Golden State. –Field Level Media