Joe Harris ignites Nets with 16 first-quarter points in blowout Game 2 victory over Celtics

If the Nets’ Game 1 victory over the Celtics on Saturday was all about the domination of superstars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, then their 130-108 bashing of the Celtics in Game 2 Tuesday night at Barclays Center proved they have more than a just a Big 3.

Joe Harris, who won his second NBA three-point percentage title in three seasons with a 47.5% this season, exploded for 16 first-quarter points and hit six of eight three-pointers in the first half, which was a franchise playoff record for any half. That ignited a blowout victory in which the Nets’ lead reached 33 points in the third quarter.

Durant ultimately led the Nets with 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Harris totaled 25 on 9-of-14 shooting including 7-of-10 from three-point range. Harden added 20 points and seven assists, Irving scored 15 and dished six assists, and Blake Griffin had 11 points. The Nets shot 52.3% from the field (46-88) and hit 17-of-38 three-pointers (44.7%).

Marcus Smart topped the Celtics with 19 points, Kemba Walker had 17, Evan Fournier totaled 16, and Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 11 rebounds. All-Star Jayson Tatum played just 21 minutes before suffering a facial injury and was held to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.

In Game 1, the Nets’ Big 3 accounted for 82 of 104 points and 58 of 84 shots while the role players scored a mere 22 points on 26 shots. Following the morning shootaround on Tuesday, Harris faulted the role players for creeping in and bringing extra defenders with them. That allowed the Celtics to force the Nets’ stars into more of an isolation game rather than keeping the ball moving to involve everyone. That was a focus before Game 2.

“Well, they did switch a lot,” Nets coach Steve Nash said of the Celtics’ defense. “We have isolation players, so I’m happy for us to isolate. In the meantime, I’d like for us to play off one another, to use each other and for the potential for all five of us to be a threat. Hopefully, we can diversify what we do a little bit.

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“Some of it was just making and missing shots, but some of it we can improve. This is such a new experience for all of these guys, especially under the lights of the playoffs. If we can continue to get better tonight, that would be important to feel more familiar, to feel more comfort and to take one or two little moments that we can say, ‘That’s what we’re looking for. Let’s build on it.’”

The saving grace for the Nets in Game 1 was a defense that held the Celtics’ top three scorers, Tatum, Walker and Fournier, to 31 percent shooting. So Boston coach Brad Stevens also emphasized the need for his team to have quicker ball movement before the Nets could switch their defenders.

It didn’t take long for the Nets to find the offensive diversity they were seeking. Harris hit four three-pointers and totaled 14 points in an 18-1 first-quarter run that shot the Nets out to a 29-13 lead. Starting late in the opening period, the Nets forced the Celtics to turn the ball over on seven of 10 possessions that began a 20-6 Nets run that included 10 points from Harden to build a 58-32 lead.

Eventually, the Nets’ lead reached 27 points before they settled for a 71-47 halftime margin that was one-point short of their biggest lead in playoff history and they were two points short of the most points they ever have scored in one half in franchise history.

The first half defense was just as good as the standard the Nets set in Game 1. They held Celtics star Tatum to seven points on 2-of-10 shooting, forced 11 turnovers leading to 17 Nets points and hounded the Celtics into 38.1% overall shooting and just a 3-of-12 effort from three-point range.

In the third quarter, Durant scored 14 points, and the Nets pushed their lead as high as 33. With 8:48 left in the quarter, Tatum took a blow to the face, crumpled to the court and headed to the locker room, where he remained for the rest of the blowout loss. The series resumes with Game 3 Friday night in Boston.

Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.