The Celtics got what they wanted for almost three quarters. But it was only a matter of time until the defending Atlantic Division champions showed up and took advantage of the Celtics' defensive miscues and other on-court indiscretions. Rallying from a 15-point, third-quarter deficit, New Jersey snapped its losing streak and vaulted into first place in the Atlantic with a 106-103 win.
As the Nets' big three -- Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Jefferson -- strode gleefully off the court, it appeared the visitors had regained their swagger. The same could not be said for the Celtics, who left the court shaking their heads amid a smattering of boos from the crowd of 16,042 at the Garden. The Celtics not only squandered a double-digit advantage, they also lost a chance at gaining momentum and confidence heading into what promises to be a tough December.
Following the loss, coach Doc Rivers could not help but catalog the many ways Boston (5-9) failed to execute the game plan. Traps that never came. Or traps in the wrong places. Rushed shots, such as the 3-pointer Paul Pierce took with 31 seconds remaining and Boston trailing, 104-103. The Celtics did have the final possession after Pierce fouled Vince Carter, but with time winding down, Wally Szczerbiak failed to take a shot. Szczerbiak lost the ball out of bounds on a drive to the basket.
"I just lost control," Szczerbiak said. "It was my bad, my fault. I should have known time was running out and should have gotten the three up."
It was left to Rivers to make the key point.
"When you're begging for a three at the end of the game," he said, "you've put yourself in a tough position to begin with."
Szczerbiak's turnover was the last in a long line of mistakes by the Celtics that stretched to the third quarter. As the third came to a close, Kidd helped engineer the New Jersey comeback, starting a 23-8 run with a 22-footer, a steal, and a fast-break layup. When Carter replaced Kidd late in the quarter, the shooting guard sustained the run by scoring on four of the Nets' first five possessions of the final period. With Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson on the floor a few minutes into the fourth, there was no stopping the Nets (6-9) as they took the lead for the first time, 93-92, on two free throws by Hassan Adams.
