Fresh off their heartbreaking Game 1 loss to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets are determined to even the series. This will come with its fair share of challenges, but given the talent this squad possesses and just how close they came to pulling out Game 1 despite a poor game from Kevin Durant, the Nets can easily do this.
While Kyrie Irving poured in 39 points, Durant shot just 9-of-24 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point land while committing six turnovers in 41 minutes. Brooklyn got outscored by 13 points in those 41 minutes, so the superstar forward obviously needs to be better. That is one obvious change needed for the Nets, but they have some other adjustments to make as they look to avoid an 0-2 hole.
Let's now take a look at what those adjustments must be for the Brooklyn Nets after losing Game 1 to the Boston Celtics at the buzzer.
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Nets adjustments vs. Celtics after Game 1 loss
The Nets must utilize their size and length against the Celtics
The Celtics are expected to be without starting center Robert Williams for the entirety of this series. Even though the Nets don't have Ben Simmons in the rotation yet, they still have a few reliable big men in Andre Drummond and Nic Claxton. Utilizing these two well-rounded centers in the pick-and-roll game would be vital to their success in the upcoming game.
Drummond and Claxton have provided the Nets with quality rim protection, rebounding, and low-post scoring. Taking advantage of the Celtics' relatively thin frontline is a huge advantage that they must capitalize on in Game 2. Claxton played well off the bench in Game 1 with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, but Drummond was badly outplayed by Al Horford and was a minus-13 in just 17 minutes. Drummond must be better, but if those minutes go poorly again, Steve Nash must have a quick hook. To be fair, Claxton did play 31 minutes to just those 17 for Drummond, so Nash did seem to recognize this.
With plenty of size and length on their roster, it may even be to the Nets' benefit to run their own version of the death lineup with KD at center. Nash certainly needs to be willing to get creative with his lineups.
Brooklyn needs to slow its pace of play against Boston
On multiple occasions in the second half of Game 1, the Nets blew several opportunities to make easy buckets in transition. Whether they were playing too fast or making sloppy passes, the Nets squandered some crucial opportunities, much like the Celtics did at times in the fourth quarter. Despite coming back from a 15-point deficit and taking the lead late in the game, Brooklyn still missed out on multiple chances to extend its lead and seal the win.
If they're hoping for a different outcome the second time around, they'll need to dial back on the reckless passes and lightning-quick bursts up the court. It seems simple enough, but given how many mistakes they made and the turnovers they had (it was a problem early in the game as well), it will also be an adjustment for them. Considering that the Nets lost this game at the last second, Kyrie and KD should be able to lock in and get everyone on the same page. This will then allow them to cut back on the silly miscues and limit their turnovers.
After going toe-to-toe with one of the most dominant teams in the league, the Nets will definitely have their hands full throughout the series. If they're hoping to come away victorious, they'll need to continually be on their A-game and get major contributions from the whole team. Players like Seth Curry, Bruce Brown, Patty Mills, and Kessler Edwards will have to rev up their intensity on both ends of the floor to help the stars for Brooklyn to win this series, and, again, Kevin Durant must be better.
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