Complete history of the Brooklyn Nets playing on Christmas Day
Dec. 25, 2020
The Nets had lost twoconsecutive games on Christmas and were given the chance to redeem themselves eight years after suffering their last loss. Thanks to the duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Brooklyn was able to do just that on Dec. 25, 2020 against Boston.
The Nets traveled to TD Garden to take on the Celtics in the second game of the season for both teams. The contest marked the first time that Irving returned to Boston after opting out of his contract with the team in 2019.
Brooklyn held the four-point advantage at the end of the first quarter, but the Celtics led by three at halftime, 54-51. Durant came out hot for the Nets in the third, scoring nine straight points and adding seven more before the period came to a close. Brooklyn outscored Boston in the third, 35-23.
The Celtics came within seven points at the start of the fourth quarter with both Durant and Irving on the bench, but the Nets went on another 9-0 run en route to a 123-95 victory.
Brooklyn shot 53.9% from the field and 51.7% from the 3-point line in comparison to Boston’s 37.8% and 29.6%. Irving led all-scorers with 37 points (13-of-21 from the field, 7-of-10 from the 3-point line), Durant scored 29 (9-of-16), and Caris LeVert contributed 10 points (5-of-8) off the bench. Jaylen Brown was the Celtics’ leading scorer with 27 points. Jayson Tatum added 20.
Brooklyn finished its second game with a 2-0 record, while Boston fell to 1-1. The Nets beat the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs that year as well before losing to the Bucks in Game 7 of the conference semifinals.
