The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets were both undermanned heading into Friday night's game.
The C's were missing Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, and Robert Williams while the Nets were without Kevin Durant, James Harden, and several other bench contributors. As such, it was tough to know what to expect in the game.
While the Celtics fought hard to close the gap down the stretch, the Nets were ultimately able to emerge with the victory.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Even despite the absences of Durant and Harden, the Nets were, largely, able to dominate this game. It wasn't necessarily Kyrie Irving that beat the C's. He had a very good game, but he had just 15 points. Players like Joe Harris, DeAndre Jordan, and Jeff Green became big-time contributors for Brooklyn.
The Nets scored a whopping 39 points in the second quarter, but the Celtics did cut the lead to as little as three down the stretch. But they couldn't quite get the job done, so the Nets emerged with the victory.
Jayson Tatum did what he could to carry the Celtics, scoring 38 points, while both Payton Pritchard (22 points) and Marcus Smart (19) made solid contributions. Outside of them, however, the team just didn't have enough offense to go blow-for-blow with the Nets.
Here are the highlights from the Celtics' loss, just their third overall in the month of April.
Boston Celtics
Find the latest Boston Celtics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
FINAL SCORE: Nets 109, Celtics 104
CELTICS' RECORD: 32-28
Celtics vs. Nets highlights
Jayson Tatum gets it going from deep early:
Marcus Smart with the finish through contact and-one:
Payton Pritchard nails a deep 3-point shot:
Tatum posted 25 points in the first half:
Aaron Nesmith with the top-tier hustle:
Smart draws the charge, Payton Pritchard nails a DEEP 3-ball:
Celtics schedule
Sunday, April 25: at Charlotte Hornets, 1 p.m. ET