First half proves too much to overcome for Celtics

BROOKLYN, N.Y.The Boston Celtics delivered yet another Jekyl-and-Hyde kind of performance in their 102-97 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
As strong as the C's were for the most part in the second half, a woeful effort most of the first half ultimately proved to be too much for them to fully overcome.
"I was disappointed with our effort in the first half," said C's coach Doc Rivers. "I thought they just kicked our butts. They were more physical, went over our backs, pushed us around."
And the numbers made this painfully clear.
Offensive rebounds: Boston 6, Brooklyn 15.
Total rebounds: Boston 17, Brooklyn 26
Second-chance points: Boston 6, Brooklyn 19.
Getting bully-balled like that and still be down by just nine points at the half?
The C's were ripe for a rally in the second half, which is exactly what they were able to do.
Boston was able to lead by as many as six points in the second half, but could not hold on as the Nets managed to make all the big shots and get the big stops when it mattered most.
And the C's contributed to their own demise in the second half with critical misses from the field and the free throw line.
"We had point-blank wide open looks at the elbow, we missed lay-ups, we missed free throws," Rivers said. "Maybe that was because we had to fight out of a ditch, a hole in the third quarter. I liked our looks. I liked how we finished the game overall. We just didn't win it."
And while there were plenty of factors that contributed to the loss, none sticks out as much as the team's overall lackluster play in the first half.
"We can't wait to turn it on when we get down and decide when we want to play," said Paul Pierce, who missed a pair if critical free throws in the final minute of play. "It has to be from the start."