The lowly New Jersey Nets made the most of Boston’s defensive struggles on Saturday as they shocked the Celtics 104-96.
“Any win for us is big. There’s no question, but to get a win on the road, and this is one of the toughest places to play in the NBA, just shows that. It should demonstrate to our guys that if they play with effort, they can compete against anybody,” said Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe, whose team entered the game with a 5-52 record.
Center Brook Lopez scored 25 points, Devin Harris added 23 and Courtney Lee 21 for the Nets, who edged ahead 29-27 on Keyon Dooling’s basket at the end of the first quarter and never relinquished the lead.
Kevin Garnett had 26 points and Marquis Daniels had 16 for the Celtics, who were without Paul Pierce for the third straight game.
New Jersey took 41 free-throws to the Celtics’ 11.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers blamed his team for the free-throw disparity, saying “it was on us.”
Rivers said he told his players after a 108-88 loss to Cleveland on Friday: “It ain’t the system. It’s our heads.”
“It’s between our ears and we’ve got to come out and play,” Rivers said.
The Nets had challenged the Celtics until the waning minutes in a 96-87 loss on Feb. 5.
New Jersey scored 25 points off 18 Celtics turnovers. The Celtics shot 63 percent in the first quarter to build a 12-2 lead, but the Nets battled back.
The Nets need to win at least four of their remaining 24 games if they don’t want to break the all-time worst full-season showing in league history — the 9-73 of the 1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers.
Saturday’s other NBA results:
• Grizzlies 120, Knicks 109
• Jazz 133, Rockets 110
• Pacers 100, Bulls 90
• Trail Blazers 110, T’wolves 91
• Warriors 95, Pistons 88
• Bucks 94, Heat 71
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Taiwan’s Tony Wu yesterday beat Mackenzie McDonald of the US to win the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand, his first challenger victory since 2022. The 26-year-old world No. 315, who won both his qualifiers to advance to the main draw, has been on a hot streak this month, winning his past nine matches, including two that ensured Taiwan’s victory in their Davis Cup World Group I tie. Wu took just more than two hours to top world No. 172 McDonald 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win his second challenger tournament since the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in 2022. Wu’s Tallahassee win followed two years of
UP IN SMOKE: More than half a dozen riders crashed out of the race, with Marquez’s title chances in doubt after driving off the track with flames flickering from his bike Jorge Martin yesterday won a crash-filled Indonesia MotoGP to extend his championship lead, while closest rival Francesco Bagnaia limited the damage by claiming the final podium place. The win leaves the Pramac Racing rider 21 points ahead of his Italian Ducati rival, who finished third behind Spaniard Pedro Acosta in sweltering conditions at the Mandalika International Street Circuit on Lombok island. In front of a crowd of 60,000 in motorbike-mad Indonesia, the 26-year-old put his tumble in Saturday’s sprint behind him, canceling out the gains his title rival Bagnaia made after securing victory in that race. “Thank you Indonesia. I am very happy.
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