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Home is where the wins are: Nets blow out the Celtics, 114-98, win their 11th straight at Barclays

By Tom Lorenzo

BROOKLYN - For the third time this season, the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics got together to play a basketball game and, well, the third time around there was very little intrigue. Sure, it was "Brooklyn Blue Night," as the Nets wore their alternative, blue-sleeved jerseys for the first time, but the Celtics are well on their way toward the top of the lottery as the Nets were working on a 10-game home win streak.

And after they blew out the Celtics on Friday night, 114-98 they made it 11 straight home wins, with an impressive overall performance.

Brooklyn got off to a hot start, shooting 68.4 percent percent from the floor in the first quarter. The Celtics, however, were able to hang in, slightly, despite their shooting woes (36.0 FG%) by doing most of their damage from beyond the arc. They hit 4-of-8 threes in the first quarter. The Nets led 34-28 after one quarter of play.

The Celtics made a run early in the second quarter, getting out on the run and continuing to stretch the floor. They were able to tie the game up at 41-41, three and a half minutes into the second quarter.

Brooklyn struggled in stopping Avery Bradley, who twisted his ankle on the Celtics' first possession and was taken out of the game. He returned to score 23 points in 19 first-half minutes. Mason Plumlee was the answer in the first half, though, as he scored 14 points for the Nets.

The Nets led the Celtics at halftime, 64-54.

Paul Pierce led the offense early in the third quarter, as the Nets really started to pull away. Well, sort of. As expected, this is the NBA and every team makes a run. The Celtics made adjustments to force the ball inside, using both Brandon Bass and Kris Humphries to get something going on offense.

The Joe Johnson stretch came midway through the third -- he scored 16 points in the quarter -- because on this team it's always someone, which makes them dangerous. Even as Deron Williams was having a quiet night, Johnson, Plumlee and Pierce were providing plenty of punch.

After three, the Nets led 92-76.

Brooklyn continued to dominate the paint in the fourth quarter and maintain their double digit lead, even with the starters sitting on the bench. They scored 62 points in the paint, to the Celtics' 30 points in the paint. In the end, it was active hands, a dominance in the middle and nice adjustments made after each Celtics run.

Final score: Nets 114, Celtics 98.

Brooklyn has won 11 straight games at home.

Mason Plumlee finished with 18 points, scoring in double figures for the third straight game, the first time he's done so this season. Johnson scored a team-high 27 points.

Deron Williams picked a steal in this game, making that 17 straight games with a steal for the Nets point guard. He is tied for the 4th longest streak in Nets franchise history.

Next up for the Nets, Sunday night on the road in Dallas against the Mavericks.

For more on the Celtics, see: CelticsBlog

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