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Celtics edge Nets at the buzzer and Jaylen Brown saga rolls on: Atlantic Division roundup
The Celtics escaped with a 125-124 win over the Nets as the Jaylen Brown storyline rages on and injuries dominate the news for the 76ers and Raptors.
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Celtics squeeze past winless Nets
The lone Atlantic Division game on Tuesday was a thriller, with the Boston Celtics slipping past the Brooklyn Nets 125-124. The win lifts Boston to 3-1 and keeps them near the top of the division, while Brooklyn falls to 0-4 and is still hunting its first victory of the season.
The razor-thin margin fits the early narrative for both teams: the Celtics are finding ways to close, and the Nets are paying for a lack of cushion in tight finishes. Elsewhere in the division, the Philadelphia 76ers match Boston’s 3-1 mark, the Toronto Raptors sit at 2-1, and the New York Knicks trail at 1-3.
Jaylen Brown ties together Celtics, Nets and Sixers
Off the floor, Jaylen Brown remains at the center of multiple Atlantic storylines. Hoops Rumors, citing Brian Lewis of the New York Post, reports that the Brooklyn Nets had the assets to acquire Brown from the Boston Celtics before he ultimately landed with the Philadelphia 76ers. According to that report, the Celtics approached Brooklyn about a potential Brown deal, but the Nets didn’t want the All-Star forward.
CBS Sports, meanwhile, focuses on the simmering dynamic between Brown and Jayson Tatum, framing it as part of what fuels the must-see Celtics–76ers rivalry. In a separate piece, CBS relays that Celtics broadcaster Brian Scalabrine said Brown requested a trade out of Boston — a claim Brown’s camp, now representing a 76ers star, calls “10,000% a lie.”
Injuries shape early outlook for Sixers and Raptors
For Philadelphia, roster flexibility is the story. Hoops Rumors reports the Sixers have applied to the NBA for a disabled player exception after center Ariel Hukporti suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in his preseason debut and underwent surgery.
In Toronto, all eyes are on Kawhi Leonard’s knee. According to CBS Sports, Leonard’s latest knee issue will keep him out when the Toronto Raptors make their only trip to Los Angeles next week, meaning he’ll miss a return to the Clippers’ new Intuit Dome. Hoops Rumors adds, via Shams Charania, that the Raptors expect to be without their star forward for “a period of weeks” due to swelling in his left knee while he undergoes treatment and awaits re-evaluation.
The New York Knicks were idle and remain at 1-3, looking for traction after a quiet opening stretch.