Celtics Demolish Nets 148-111 in Historic Shooting Performance at TD Garden
There are blowouts, and then there are statements. The Boston Celtics delivered the latter on Friday night at TD Garden, torching the Brooklyn Nets 148-111 in one of the most efficient offensive performances the building has seen this season. Shooting a jaw-dropping 66.7% from the field and 64.7% from three-point range, Boston turned what was a competitive first quarter into a full-scale dismantling by halftime — and never looked back. The 37-point margin was a clear reminder of the gulf between a legitimate contender and a rebuilding franchise, as the Celtics improved to 39-20 on the season while the Nets fell to a league-worst 15-44.
Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
First Quarter: BOS 35, BKN 32
Brooklyn actually kept pace with Boston through the opening frame, trailing by just three points after the first 12 minutes. The Nets moved the ball with purpose, generating 29 assists on the night overall, and showed early life in transition. Boston led 35-32, but the game appeared far more competitive than it would soon become. The warning signs for Brooklyn, however, were already there — the Celtics were getting quality looks and converting them at a high rate.
Second Quarter: BOS 31, BKN 25
Boston began to pull away in the second quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 31-25 to take a 66-57 lead into the locker room. The Celtics’ ball movement — they would finish with 39 assists on 52 made field goals — was a consistent theme, with open looks coming in waves. Brooklyn’s inability to slow Boston’s interior game began to show, as the Celtics found consistent mismatches and exploited them before the half.
Third Quarter: BOS 43, BKN 26
The game was effectively over after this frame. Boston erupted for 43 third-quarter points — an extraordinary output — to extend their lead to 109-83 heading into the final period. The Celtics shot the lights out, their ball movement reaching a rhythm that Brooklyn had no answer for. For a Nets squad already thin on talent and leaning on young players to gain experience, the third quarter was a sobering stretch of basketball.
Fourth Quarter: BOS 39, BKN 28
With the game well in hand, Boston’s reserves kept the foot on the gas, pouring in 39 more points in the fourth to reach the remarkable 148-point total. Brooklyn managed 28 in the final frame, a respectable number in a vacuum, but the damage had long been done. The final score of 148-111 reflected a complete, wire-to-wire team performance from the Celtics.
Key Performers
Nikola Vucevic — Boston Celtics (C, #4)
Vucevic was Boston’s leading scorer on the night, putting up 28 points and 11 rebounds in what amounted to a dominant performance in the paint. The veteran center took full advantage of Brooklyn’s lack of size, converting efficiently and anchoring the Celtics’ interior attack. His double-double was the backbone of Boston’s record-setting shooting night.
Jaylen Brown — Boston Celtics (G, #7)
Brown was Boston’s engine in terms of playmaking, finishing with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and a game-high 9 assists. His ability to create for teammates — reflected in his top rating mark of the night — was a key driver of the Celtics’ 39-assist team total. Brown’s versatility on both ends of the floor made him the most impactful player on the court.
Michael Porter Jr. — Brooklyn Nets (F, #17)
Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 18 points and earned the team’s top performance rating. His shooting ability gave the Nets some life at various points, but with limited support around him, it wasn’t nearly enough to keep pace with Boston’s offensive barrage.
Nolan Traore — Brooklyn Nets (G, #88)
The young point guard led Brooklyn with 7 assists, showing flashes of playmaking ability in what is clearly a developmental season for the rookie. While the result wasn’t in his team’s favor, Traore’s ability to facilitate is an encouraging data point for a franchise focused on building for the future.
Game Analysis: Boston’s Shooting Night Was Historic
The numbers Boston posted on Friday night deserve a closer look. Shooting 52-of-78 from the field (66.7%) and 22-of-34 from three (64.7%) are figures that rival some of the best team shooting performances in recent NBA history. To put it in perspective: the NBA average for field goal percentage hovers around 47-48%, meaning Boston was operating nearly 20 percentage points above the norm. Their 39 assists on 52 made baskets underscore just how unselfish and fluid the offense was — this wasn’t one player going off, it was a complete collective effort.
Brooklyn, by contrast, shot a respectable 48.9% from the field overall, but the Celtics’ defensive pressure — particularly in the third quarter — forced enough bad possessions to allow Boston to build an insurmountable lead. The rebounding disparity told another story: Boston pulled down 40 boards to Brooklyn’s 24, giving the Celtics second-chance opportunities that compounded their advantage. Generating 27 free throw attempts (making 22) to Brooklyn’s 16 also reflected Boston’s aggression in the paint throughout the night.
For the Nets, the loss is part of a broader pattern of a team in full rebuild mode. At 15-44, Brooklyn is positioning itself for a high lottery pick and focusing on the development of young players like Traore and Day’Ron Sharpe (who led the team with 5 rebounds). There is no shame in a loss like this — it’s the nature of the current roster construction — but the gap between where Brooklyn is and where Boston is remains significant.
Standings and Series Implications
With the win, the Boston Celtics move to 39-20 on the season, including a 19-9 home record and a strong 20-11 mark on the road that speaks to their overall depth and consistency. At 148 points, this was a signature offensive performance that reinforces Boston’s status as one of the Eastern Conference’s premier teams. The Nets, now 15-44, remain anchored near the bottom of the East standings, with their focus firmly on player development and draft positioning heading toward the offseason. The next chapter for the Celtics continues as they look to sustain their winning ways deep into the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.
