The Brooklyn Nets on Friday stunned the Boston Celtics 115-105, rallying from 28-point deficit to beat the Eastern Conference contenders on their home floor in the biggest comeback win of the NBA season.
Mikal Bridges scored 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Cameron Johnson, celebrating his 27th birthday, added 20 points for Brooklyn, who have struggled to find their form since trades last month saw stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant depart.
They had lost four straight, including a blowout loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday, and looked to be heading for another lopsided defeat when the Celtics took a 51-23 lead with 7 minutes, 23 seconds left in the second quarter.
Photo: AP
“We just kept fighting,” Bridges said. “We just kept fighting, we got stops and that was the biggest thing — defense and getting out in transition, but it all started with our defense.”
The Nets had whittled the deficit to nine points at halftime and took the lead for the first time — and for good — with 6 minutes, 11 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The win marked the biggest comeback of the season, eclipsing the Los Angeles Lakers’ fightback from a 27-point deficit in a victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Photo: AP
“We ain’t gonna stop playing no matter what the score is,” said Bridges, who arrived in the trade that sent Durant to the Phoenix Suns.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 35 points. Jayson Tatum, celebrating his 25th birthday, added 22 points with 13 rebounds, but the Celtics have lost two of their past three and slipped a bit further behind the Milwaukee Bucks atop the East.
“We got off to a really good start playing the right way and we just took the foot off the gas and it cost us,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who also saw center Robert Williams depart early in the third quarter with a tight left hamstring. “You can’t be comfortable.”
Elsewhere on Friday, it was:
‧ Bulls 104, Suns 125
‧ Hawks 129, Trail Blazers 111
‧ Heat 120, Knicks 122
‧ Hornets 106, Magic 117
‧ Kings 128, Clippers 127
‧ Lakers 102, Timberwolves 110
‧ Nuggets 113, Grizzlies 97
‧ Thunder 130, Jazz 103
‧ Warriors 108, Pelicans 99
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