Celtics Vs Nets — Boston overwhelms Brooklyn 148-111 as Vucevic shines in emotional reunion
In the celtics vs nets game at TD Garden on Feb. 28, 2026, the Boston Celtics blew past the Brooklyn Nets 148-111, powered by Jaylen Brown’s 28 points and a third double-double from Nikola Vucevic that helped seal a decisive third-quarter surge.
Celtics Vs Nets — Third quarter surge decided it
Boston took firm control in the third quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 43-26 and finishing the period with a stretch in which the Nets managed only seven points over the final 6: 23. The Celtics shot 15 of 19 in the quarter with 12 assists and connected on 5 of 7 from beyond the arc, turning a competitive halftime margin into a blowout by the fourth.
Brown led the way; Vucevic’s reserve role pays off
Jaylen Brown finished with 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, repeatedly attacking the rim and knocking down threes; he led Boston with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists by halftime. Nikola Vucevic, coming off the bench, finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double since joining the Celtics. The 35-year-old converted 9 of 13 field-goal attempts, added four assists and a block and said, “At times, I feel like I do overthink a little bit, which then makes me kind of hesitant and takes away my aggressiveness. And I felt like tonight I was able to just put a little more together, just play off my teammates. ” Head coach Joe Mazzulla praised his veteran center, saying, "Vooch looked very comfortable in his offensive reads and offensive screening, and unlocked a lot of stuff for us. "
Bench explosion and team shooting numbers
The Celtics shot a season-high 66. 7% from the field and connected on 22 three-pointers while getting 77 points from the bench. Despite those gaudy numbers, Boston led only 66-57 at halftime after shooting 62% from the field (24 of 39) and 60% from three (12 of 20) in the first half. Turnovers played a role in keeping Brooklyn close early: eight Celtics turnovers were turned into 12 Nets points, but Boston cut that to four turnovers in the second half.
Brooklyn lineup, streaks and notable moments
The Nets, who had entered the game on a six-game losing streak and left with their seventh straight loss, were paced by Michael Porter Jr., who finished with 18 points. Brooklyn’s starting five for the night was Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton. Former Celtic Josh Minott checked into the game for Brooklyn in the first quarter, scored four points and threw down a poster dunk on Hugo Gonzalez in the opening period. The teams had previously split the season series, with one prior meeting going to double overtime.
Euro reunion and role players
The evening carried an emotional substory: former Real Madrid teammates Hugo Gonzalez and Egor Demin crossed paths in Boston. Demin, 19, and Gonzalez, 20, who were selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, shared a history as teammates and former roommates in Madrid. Demin said, "He actually was the one who kind of took me under his wing, with like translating what the coaches were saying… he helped so much from the first moment to adjust to the culture, language, and all that stuff. " Demin finished the game with five points and two assists; Gonzalez finished with eight points, two blocks, two rebounds, one steal and one assist off the bench.
Other contributors included Payton Pritchard (22 points) and starter Neemias Queta, who began the game for Boston and finished with eight points, two steals and a block. Bosnian reserve Luka Garza added four points and three rebounds in the closing minutes, while prospects Amari Williams and Max Shulga remained on assignment with the Maine Celtics and did not play.
First quarter flow, halftime details and third-quarter burst
Boston opened hot, making its first five field-goal attempts and starting 8 of 10 from the floor, but Brooklyn began 7 of 11 and stayed within reach. The Celtics led 35-32 after the first quarter, having gone 6 of 7 from three in the period with the only miss a late Hugo Gonzalez heave. Vucevic provided an early lift with 10 points and five rebounds off the bench in the first quarter. Entering the game, Boston had been the best defensive team in the league over the prior 10 games, but the defense was porous in the first half as Brooklyn scored 32 points in the paint before the break.
A 27-7 run in the third pushed the Celtics to a 109-83 advantage at the quarter’s end; Boston’s lead swelled to as many as 41 points in the fourth quarter before the final buzzer.
Next scheduled game: unclear in the provided context.
