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NBA legend Cedric Maxell doesn't see the Boston Celtics-Brooklyn Nets series extending that long if the Beantown team wins Game 2 on Wednesday.
The Celtics won Game 1 in a thriller, with Jayson Tatum delivering the buzzer-beating layup to take down the Nets 115-114. Kyrie Irving scored 39 points in the contest, but even that was not enough to beat his former team. With that said, Maxwell sees the series ending in just five games if Boston ends its homestretch unscathed.
“I think the Celtics, if they're able to win this next game here in Boston, I think it goes five games,” Maxwell said, via NBC Sports. “I think they'll go to Brooklyn and steal one there. To me, the best thing about this is Kyrie has to play perfect and Durant has to play perfect in order for Brooklyn to win the game.”
Cedric Maxwell highlighted the brilliant play of Jayson Tatum as a key component for the Celtics in the series. After all, if the star forward continues to outplay Kevin Durant contrary to initial expectations, then the Nets are doomed.
“The biggest thing is if Tatum is the best player on the floor instead of Durant, then that's really a deterrent to what Brooklyn wants to do because you thought this is going to be the matchup that's always going to favor Brooklyn. But that first game, it has favored the Boston Celtics,” Maxwell added.
Of course it is still a long series. Not to mention that it is outrageous to expect Durant to play as poorly as he did in Game 1 when he made six turnovers and needed 24 shots to make 23 points. Given how talented KD is, the Celtics can't be too complacent event after that showing.
Maxwell has a good point, though. The Celtics have the momentum going in their favor, and if they can take advantage of that, they'll make life hard for Brooklyn. Besides, the pressure is now on the Nets given the huge expectations on them.
