Nets’ Jack out for season with torn ACL

Among the Boston Celtics’ goals for this season was to deliver as much damage to the Brooklyn Nets as possible, so losing the season series would qualify as a failure. “We need to continue to play well”, said Hollins. “It was just a matter of being aggressive”. They allowed 16 offensive rebounds, including six for Thad Young (23 points, 15 rebounds), who played like a monster.

“We stayed in the paint tonight”, said Boston’s Evan Turner who had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.

“I just thought we had good spacing”, Stevens said.

But they won, at least, which was a welcome change after falling to Los Angeles and Brooklyn. It’s a process. I’ll get better, we’ll get better.

“We came out and really got into [the Nets], dictated how the game was going to go. And that’s just bad coaching”. They got beaten by too much interior passing and too many layups in the second half, and they could not stop Joe Johnson (21 points) down the stretch. He’s a competitor still so he’s going to feel like it’s his fault. “He puts us in great position to succeed and we failed on each other”.

Jack underwent an MRI on Sunday that revealed a torn ACL and small medial meniscus tear in his right knee, according to Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears.

For the Celtics, of course, this game took on a bit more significance than a regular game against a lowly team might, as Boston will receive the Nets’ first-round draft pick at season’s end. And when Brooklyn cut the C’s lead to single digits in the fourth quarter, Crowder’s 3-pointer and traditional three-point play kept the Nets at bay.

The Nets (10-23) stuck to a similar game plan in Saturday’s 100-97 road win as Lopez dominated inside with a season-high 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting with 13 rebounds.

Tempers flared early in the second half when Jared Sullinger pulled down Lopez on a layup attempt at 9:56 of the third quarter.

After the game, Jack was seen on crutches after the game.

Crowder stepped in and the pair had to be separated. Jack and Crowder had to be separated and were both given technicals.

The Celtics lost at home last week to the Lakers and Nets, two of the NBA’s worst teams, but seemed to leave that poor play behind with a 37-point first quarter that gave them a 15-point lead.

Two of Brooklyn’s 10 wins on the season have now come against Boston, giving them a boost from the basement of the National Basketball Association.

Guard Avery Bradley missed the game because of a sore left hip and did not travel to Brooklyn.

With point guard Marcus Smart back in the fold, this week’s player power rankings include some dramatic shifts, after head coach Brad Stevens tried to manage a roster that’s at full strength for the first time in almost two months.