Nets still havent forgotten their historic Celtics embarrassment: Kicked our ass
Heading into the Nets’ toughest test yet, Dorian Finney-Smith hasn’t failed to remind the team of how it felt after the final meeting with Boston last season.The Nets had back-to-back dates Feb.13 and 14 with the Celtics just ahead of the All-Star break.
They were 21-31 heading into first game of the set, and their season was in a downward spiral with playoff hopes dwindling.The first game saw the Nets stay competitive against the eventual NBA champs, losing by eight points.However, the margin in the second game was 50, the second-worst loss in franchise history, and head coach Jacque Vaughn was fired days later, on Feb.19.Finney-Smith said he told a couple of teammates about the experience, mainly about “how bad they kicked our ass,” as he said after practice Thursday.The nine-year veteran forward doesn’t want to feel that way again as the Nets kick off a three-game road trip Friday that will feature back-to-back games against the Celtics (7-2) and undefeated Cavaliers (9-0), followed by the Pelicans (3-6) on Monday.“Yeah, but they’ve been beating the s–t out of a lot of people,” Finney-Smith said about whether the historic loss still resonates with some players.
“I think that was off a back-to-back right before the All-Star break.[There were] a lot of things going on last year, but none of that matters.
Got a whole new team, a whole new system.But yeah, I definitely spoke about it because that was probably the craziest game I’ve been a part of and just because we played them so well the night before and they just got us out of there.
They [have] shooters, got a bunch of shooting, [going to] shoot a bunch of threes.They’re going to crash the glass.
It’s going to be a good game.A great challenge.
… It’s over with.We trying to get this win tomorrow.”The Nets were 0-4 against the Celtics last season, and the Celtics will represent the team’s toughest challenge thus far.“Their crowd [is] in it.
Boston fans, they loyal,” Finn...