If the Brooklyn Nets want to avoid a first-round playoff exit and being labeled as another championship pretender, they'll need to win four of their next five games against the Boston Celtics. When the series shifts to Barclays Center this weekend, the Nets will be facing a daunting 0-2 deficit, as their offense collapsed late in a 114-107 loss to the Celtics in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Brooklyn's fourth quarter was disastrous. They scored only 17 points across the final 12 minutes of action, and allowed Boston to orchestrate a powerful 23-4 run and build a commanding 12-point lead with two minutes remaining. To make matters even worse, Nets superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving struggled mightily, combining to shoot 8-of-30 from the floor. According to ESPN Stats & Info, it was the first time in 55 games as teammates that they shot below 33-percent. Brooklyn also blew a 17-point second-quarter lead.
"Brooklyn was in the house, and they got their asses whooped tonight. It was pitiful and pathetic, what they did and how they closed the game out," JR said during the JR SportBrief show on Wednesday. "They shot blanks at the end of this game. What's going to happen in Brooklyn? You can't tell me that they're not capable of tying the series. Obviously the Boston Celtics have the control and momentum is on their side...
"They should play Ben Simmons -- what the hell do the Brooklyn Nets have to lose?... If he can physically do it, if the training staff says he's OK, let him play. See what he can do. You're down 0-2 in this series. What should the Nets do, just give up? Throw that man out there. One of the best defenders in the NBA when healthy, an All-Star when healthy. What do they have to lose? Nothing... It doesn't hurt to see if Simmons can help out... No harm in finding out."
Game 3 between the Nets and Celtics is scheduled for Saturday in Brooklyn, with tipoff at 7:30 p.m. ET. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Nets currently have a miniscule 6-percent chance to win the series, and less than a 1-percent chance to win the NBA Finals. Before the regular season started, the Nets were given a 14-percent chance to reach their first NBA Finals since 2003, and a 7-percent chance to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy.
JR's complete thoughts on Brooklyn's championship hopes can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.