clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Nets end preseason with 111-105 loss to the Celtics

By Tom Lorenzo
Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets ended the preseason with a 111-105 loss to the Boston Celtics, finishing their 6-game slate with a 2-4 record. All of this on Lionel Hollins' 62nd birthday, no less.

It hasn't been a pretty October for the Nets, who were without Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, Thaddeus Young and Jarrett Jack. They didn't even fly to Boston, just one day after the Nets beat the Philadelphia 76ers in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon.

Brooklyn was led by Bojan Bogdanovic who scored 18 points in 41 minutes and seemed to break out of his funk. Thomas Robinson added 15 points and 9 rebounds in 25 minutes. For most of the game, the Nets held close with the Celtics, but were unable to make a final push to end the preseason on a high note.

Dahntay Jones, trying for his 11th year in the NBA, played 38 minutes, the most this preseason, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds. It's the most minutes Jones has played, in preseason, regular season or post-season since November 2009. Justin Harper started and finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds. Harper averaged nine points for the preseason

Asked before the game about whether the game was crucial for Harper's chances to make the team, Hollins was non-committal.

"This is what it's all about opportunity," he told Tim Bontemps.. "I mean they work hard and do well in practice and you're happy to give them opportunities to go in the game and whether they can make our team or not is irrelevant. It's about earning the right to be on the court and being seen by everyone in the league and overseas or wherever."

For the Celtics, rookie Terry Rozier scored 16 points off the bench, while Amir Johnson added 15 points for the 4-1 Celtics. David Lee and Isaiah Thomas were out for Boston.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson left the game in the first quarter for the Nets with an upper-respiratory issue and did not return to the game. Afterwards, he told the beat writers that he's "OK" and was just dealing with some issues with his asthma.

Brooklyn is done in the preseason, having picked up wins against the Detroit Pistons and a one-point win on Sunday against the 76ers. Now, we wait to see who will make the final 15-man roster before the team opens up the regular season on the 28th at home against the Bulls.

Considering the Nets didn't play Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington, who are expected to be key role players for the Nets this season, it wasn't a terrible performance on Monday night. Just that, well, overall October hasn't been all that kind to the team.

For more on the Celtics, see: CelticsBlog

More From NetsDaily