Celtics subdue KD, Kyrie for 2-0 lead

Celtics fans got under Kyrie Irving's skin in the opening game of their first-round matchup with the Nets.

It was Boston's defense that kept him－and Kevin Durant－off balance in Game 2. Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and the Celtics rallied from 17 points down to beat Brooklyn 114-107 on Wednesday night and take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

Jayson Tatum added 19 points for Boston, which held Durant without a basket in the second half. Al Horford had 16 points, Daniel Theis scored 15 and Payton Pritchard had eight of his 10 in the final period.

"This was like an old-fashioned, old-school playoff game," Tatum said. "You just have to grind it out. That's what we did... we just stuck with it. Proud of the guys and how we kept responding all game."

Durant finished with 27 points but struggled from the field for the second straight game, shooting 4 of 17. Irving had just 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting a day after being fined $50,000 for directing obscene gestures and profane language at Celtics fans during Game 1.

The series shifts to Brooklyn for Game 3 on Saturday night.

"They're doing a good job trying to cut off my scoring, limit my shot making," Durant said. "It's on me to figure it out."

Durant and Irving were limited to a combined 1 for 17 in the second half. Bruce Brown finished with 23 points and Seth Curry added 16.

"They took the lead and they never looked back in that fourth quarter," Irving said. "We don't really have time to be disappointed, to hold our heads. This is part of playoff basketball."

Coach Ime Udoka said the approach to Durant has been to get into his air space as much as possible.

"I think we did that," Udoka said. "We want to make him work defensively and offensively have bodies on him the whole time and try to wear him down."

The TD Garden faithful peppered Irving with boos throughout, beginning with the pregame introductions. The volume ratcheted up after tipoff with the addition of dirty chants on each of Brooklyn's first two possessions. The boos returned whenever he got his hands on the ball.

Agencies Via Xinhua