Celtics vs Nets

The most-anticipated matchup of the first round of the National Basketball Association Playoffs lived up to billing. Owing to unique circumstances, the Celtics found themselves pitted against the highly regarded Nets. And given the personalities on tap, the hype was far more than that normally accompanying a set-to involving second and seventh conference seeds. The 19,156-strong crowd at the TD Garden were certainly pumped, and, in the end, rewarded by a thrilling victory off a last-second layup at the buzzer by resident top dog and surefire All-league selection Jayson Tatum.

Needless to say, fans were buoyed — or, to be more precise, riled up — by the presence of former hero turned heel Kyrie Irving. The Celtics faithful predictably booed him at every turn, even hurling invectives his way. And for a couple of instances, he felt compelled to react accordingly. As he noted, “The same energy they have for me, I’m gonna have… for them. It’s not every fan, [but] there’s only but so much you can take as a competitor.”

For the most part, though, Irving seemed to secure motivation from all the negative reactions. He was close to unstoppable from the get-go, and certainly a handful for the Celtics, even for newly minted Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. That said, he displayed less-than-stellar decision making in the end, leading to a rushed 30-foot attempt from All-Star teammate Kevin Durant and setting up Tatum’s buzzer beater.

The Celtics rightly celebrated, but the Nets have reason to hold their heads high. The latter came close to winning the series opener even though Durant uncharacteristically struggled from the field. That’s not likely to happen again. Meanwhile, Irving figures to stay fueled by the desire to put the Celtics in his rear-view mirror. “This is a guy that made the game-winning shot in the Finals, played in the Olympics, [became] All-Star Game MVP. I don’t know [if] there’s any atmosphere that’s really gonna rattle him,” argued head coach Steve Nash.

In short, all and sundry better be prepared for a long series. Game Two tomorrow looks to be close anew, as will just about every match thereafter. And whether the Celtics or the Nets ultimately prevail depends on, in Nash’s words, “a split second here and there.”

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.