Before the Nets had finished their game in Boston Wednesday night, their ticket to the lottery was booked by the Pistons, who trounced the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Nets gave a strong effort against the Celtics, but fell short of an upset once again. The Nets started out hot and led by 10 after the first quarter, but the Celtics scored 37 points in the second and led by as many as nine. The Nets came back to tie it in the third, but never got the lead back. They were down seven with just over a minute to go in the game when Vince Carter got them within two with a late 5-0 run. But with a chance to tie, both Carter and Devin Harris missed contested jumpers on the final possession. Carter led the Nets with 33 points and 12 rebounds. Harris and Keyon Dooling combined for 30 points and 11 assists, while Brook Lopez added 12 points and eight boards. Boston shot 52 percent from the field and was led by Rajon Rondo, who finished with 31 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals.
- Boxscore - NBA.com
- Game Highlights - Celtics 106, Nets 104 (Video) - NBA.com
- Celtics survive scare, beat Nets 106-104 - Jimmy Golen - AP
- Nets eliminated from playoff contention - Dave D'Alessandro - Star-Ledger
- Simmons wants defined role next season - Dave D'Alessandro - Star-Ledger
- With loss to Celtics, Nets eliminated from playoffs - Al Iannazzone - The Nets Insider
- Nets playoff hopes dead - Fred Kerber - New York Post
- Nets lose to Celtics, but playoff hopes end with Knick defeat - Julian Garcia - New York Daily News
- Nets officially eliminated from playoffs - Al Iannazzone - The Record
- Kidd’s drive is what Nets need - Al Iannazzone - The Record
- Celtics survive surge - Frank Dell'Apa - Boston Globe
- They had plenty in reserve - Frank Dell'Apa - Boston Globe
- Chances rockier on road - Marc J. Spears - Boston Globe
- Marbury getting comfortable - Gary Dzen - Boston Globe
- Celtics win a bench mark - Steve Bulpett - Boston Herald
- Celtics trio makes solid points - Dan Duggan - Boston Herald
- Danny Ainge bracing for Thibodeau departure - Steve Bulpett - Boston Herald
- Nightly Notable: Rajon Rondo (Video) - NBA.com
- Assist of the Night: Stephon Marbury (video) - NBA.com
- Steal of the Night: Vince Carter (Video) - NBA.com
- Photo Gallery: Celtics 106, Nets 104 - Brian Babineau - NBA