Mar 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (8) drives to the basket while Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) defends during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

In their final meeting of the 2024-25 campaign — and the second time in three days — the Brooklyn Nets traveled to Boston for a rematch of Saturday night’s 115-113 loss to the Celtics. Previously 0-3 against the reigning champs this season, Brooklyn again fell 104-96.

D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 18 points and seven assists in the fourth-straight falter against Boston.

Heading into the contest, both squads were shorthanded. Brooklyn was without Cam Thomas, and Boston had Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the bench in street clothes. Due to the absences, Kristaps Porzingis — who led all scorers in the aforementioned loss — took complete control. He notched the Celtics’ first seven points of the game, but limited help on the offensive end allowed the Nets to mantain a slim advantage.

Thanks to a balanced scoring attack, Brooklyn held between a four-to-five-point lead throughout the opening frame. D’Angelo Russell, Keon Johnson and Day’Ron Sharpe tallied five points apiece in the first quarter, guiding the visitors to a 26-21 edge through 12 minutes of action.

As Boston’s bench pieces — Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta and rookie Baylor Scheierman — got involved, the Nets’ narrow gap began shrinking. Just as things got tight midway through the second quarter, Jordi Fernandez’s group orchestrated two crucial runs. The first, a 6-0 sequence capped off by a Russell three, pushed the score differential back to nine.

Porzingis, almost single-handedly, lifted the Celtics right back into it, matching his first-quarter total of seven in the second. Just as the fans at TD Garden started to anticipate a repeat of Boston’s once-21-point lead over Brooklyn from the previous meeting, Ziaire Williams squashed the anticipation.

Williams scored five-straight, sparking another 9-0 Nets run to reestablish a comfortable lead. However, Porzingis knocked down his first triple of the evening, bringing the tally to 49-44 come halftime.

Despite a 13-point explosion from Derrick White in the third quarter, that same balanced Brooklyn offense kept things tightly-contested. Each side took turns knotting the score before trading triples to gain three-point advantages, but a last-second heave by the rookie put Boston ahead. Trailing by two on the final possession before the fourth quarter, Scheierman connected on a left-wing three-pointer, beating the buzzer and giving the Celtics a one-point lead down the stretch.

Unfortunately for the Nets, Scheierman’s highlight was just a fraction of what was to come. The former Creighton star completely took over, emphasizing Boston’s never-ending depth. Four three-pointers from Scheierman in the final frame ultimately put the game out of reach, resulting in a season series sweep for the banged-up Celtics.

Next up for Brooklyn: back-to-back road matchups with the fifth-placed Indiana Pacers. Having met twice already this season with each team securing a win, the upcoming stretch will help determine who owns bragging rights heading into next year.

To access the final box score from the Nets’ loss to the Celtics, click here.

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Published 2 Minutes Ago|Modified 9:54 PM EDT