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Simulation predicts Celtics-Nets series to be an instant classic

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The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets are set to face off in what has the potential to be the most entertaining first-round series of the 2022 NBA playoffs.

It's a rematch of the 2021 Eastern Conference First Round when the No. 2 seeded Nets took down the No. 7 Celtics in five games. This time, the roles are reversed with Brooklyn entering the postseason as the underdog.

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Boston beat Brooklyn in three of their four regular-season meetings, though two of those wins came without superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the Nets' lineup. The C's also had Robert Williams in the mix, and the big man is expected to miss most if not all of the first round as he works his way back from meniscus surgery.

So, which Eastern Conference powerhouse will come out on top? Our partners at Strat-O-Matic simulated the series, and it took all seven games to decide a winner. Here's how it all played out.

Game 1

Boston's top-rated defense struggled to contain Durant, who led all scorers with 32 points. That still wasn't enough to propel the Nets to victory. A well-rounded effort from Jayson Tatum (game-high 14 rebounds and six assists) helped Boston jump out to a 1-0 series lead on Easter Sunday at TD Garden.

Result: Celtics win, 118-111 (BOS leads series, 1-0)

Game 2

Tatum doubled down with another monster performance in Game 2. The Celtics star dropped 32 points and brought down 15 boards. Meanwhile, Marcus Smart's playmaking was on display as he dished out a game-high seven assists. Despite those impressive numbers, Brooklyn was still able to earn a dramatic overtime victory.

Result: Nets win, 120-113 (OT) (Series tied, 1-1)

Game 3

In Brooklyn for Game 3, Durant put on a show in front of the home crowd. The 12-time All-Star put the Nets on top in the series with a 34-point performance. Tatum once again led in the rebound category (13) while Smart led in assists (8), but the Celtics offense simply couldn't keep up with Brooklyn's stars.

Result: Nets win, 122-112 (BKN leads series, 2-1)

Game 4

Tatum responded to Durant's 34-point performance with one of his own in Game 4. The outburst helped the C's tied up the series at 2 games apiece. Smart continued to thrive as a true point guard with a game-high nine assists.

Result: Celtics win, 126-117 (Series tied, 2-2)

Game 5

Unsurprisingly, Durant and Tatum have taken turns leading all scorers in the series. Jaylen Brown ended that trend with a game-high 32 points in Game 5 at TD Garden. His clutch outing in the OT victory made the C's only one win away from clinching the series.

Result: Celtics win, 125-120 (OT) (BOS leads series, 3-2)

Game 6

With help from the home crowd, Brooklyn dominated Game 6 to stay alive in the series. Brown made it two straight games as the top scorer with 31 points, but Boston failed to finish the job.

Result: Nets win, 122-103 (Series tied, 3-3)

Game 7

Back at TD Garden for Game 7, Tatum gave a performance of the ages to propel Boston to the next round. The 24-year-old dropped a series-high 48 points in the series clincher.

Result: Celtics win, 118-107 (BOS wins series, 4-3)

Takeaways

  • If the simulation is accurate (it correctly predicted the Celtics' second-half surge, after all), Tatum's performance will officially put the league on notice. He averaged 30.7 points per game in Strat-O-Matic's series to go with 10.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists. He topped it all off with a heroic Game 7 that carried Boston to the second round. Statement made.
  • No Robert Williams? No problem. Time Lord was sidelined for the simulation, but that just means he'll be rested up for the second round. Since the Celtics didn't back down from earning the No. 2 seed and facing the Nets, they'll have homecourt advantage in Round 2.
  • Five Celtics averaged double-digits in the points column for the series: Tatum, Brown (22.7), Smart (18.0), Al Horford (13.7), and Derrick White (10.3).
  • Smart showed his impressive playmaking during the regular season wasn't a flash in the pan. He finished the series with a sparkling 7.6 assists per game.
  • Boston's elite defense did a nice job limiting every Nets player not named Kevin Durant. Irving averaged a modest 15.7 points in the series and the only others to average double figures were Seth Curry (15.6) and Goran Dragic (10.3).

Note: Games 2-6 of the Brooklyn Nets-Boston Celtics series will be aired exclusively on NBC Sports Boston and can also be streamed on NBCSportsBoston.com or with the MyTeams App, which you can download below.

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