February 27, 2026 | TD Garden, Boston, MA | Attendance: 19,156
Three NBA records fell Friday night at TD Garden. The Boston Celtics shot 66.7% from the field and posted an 80.8% effective field goal percentage — the highest single-game mark in league history — on their way to a 148-111 rout of the Brooklyn Nets.
Nikola Vucevic came off the bench for 28 points and 11 rebounds. Jaylen Brown matched him at 28, adding nine assists and seven rebounds. Payton Pritchard put up 22 off the bench. Boston’s bench combined for 77 points. The Celtics led for 95% of the game and at one point by 41.
Below is the complete Nets vs. Celtics box score, individual player stats, and a full breakdown of how Friday night went.
Table of Contents
Records Set — February 27, 2026
| Stat Category | Mark | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Effective Field Goal % | 80.8% | All-Time NBA Record |
| True Shooting % | 82.6% | All-Time NBA Record |
| 3PT% with 20+ threes made | 64.7% | All-Time NBA Record |
Score by Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nets (15-44) | 32 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 111 |
| Boston Celtics (39-20) | 35 | 31 | 43 | 39 | 148 |
How It Played Out
The first half was closer than the final score suggests. Boston shot 62% from the field in the opening two quarters but committed eight turnovers, which Brooklyn converted into 12 points. The Nets trailed only 66-57 at halftime with genuine life in the game.
The third quarter settled it. Boston went on an extended 35-7 run that carried into the opening minutes of the fourth — built on post-up buckets from Vucevic, sharp cuts off his passing, and Derrick White hitting from the perimeter. Brooklyn scored just seven points over the final 6:23 of the third period. From there, the game was over.
Boston had only four turnovers in the second half and shot 15-of-19 from the field with 12 assists in that pivotal third quarter. The Celtics’ lead peaked at 41 points late in the fourth.
Nikola Vucevic’s Best Night as a Celtic
Two days earlier against Denver, Vucevic went 1-of-7 for two points. Friday was a full reversal.
The 35-year-old posted 28 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists on 9-of-13 shooting. He hit all three three-point attempts and all seven free throws, finishing at a +35 in 25 minutes. He became the third player in Celtics history to score 25-plus points with 10-plus rebounds and an 85-plus true shooting percentage off the bench, joining Kevin McHale and Payton Pritchard in that company.
His screening consistently forced the Nets into difficult coverage decisions. When Brooklyn doubled him in the post, cutters found open lanes. When they switched a smaller defender onto him, he went inside. When they sent two, he found the open man.
“At times, I feel like I overthink a little bit, which makes me kind of hesitant and takes away my aggressiveness. I felt like tonight, I was just able to put a little more together — just play off my teammates.” — Nikola Vucevic, postgame
Head coach Joe Mazzulla made a point to bring up Vucevic’s impact without being asked.
“I thought tonight Vooch looked really comfortable in his offensive reads and his offensive screening, and he unlocked a lot of stuff for us.” — Joe Mazzulla, postgame press conference
Jaylen Brown Ran the Show
Brown started the night going 1-of-3 from the field with four missed free throws in the first quarter. It did not matter. His first-quarter assist count actually exceeded his shot attempts as he set the tone through facilitation before taking over.
He finished with 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting, four-of-four from three, with nine assists and seven rebounds in 30 minutes. He was spotted icing his shoulder on the bench during stretches of the fourth quarter but stayed sharp throughout.
“Winning is fun.” — Jaylen Brown on his season
“Allow him to feel more comfortable is big time for our team. Today was a great step forward. I like to see him aggressive.” — Brown on Vucevic’s growing fit in the offense
Brown also addressed the Josh Minott trade — Minott was included in the deal that brought Vucevic to Boston and was playing his first game against his former team Friday night, scoring nine points in 16 minutes.
“It’s tough. Josh came in the beginning of the year and bought into the system. He grew as a player. It’s unfortunate, but Josh was a winner, and we appreciate him for the contributions he made.” — Brown on Josh Minott
Payton Pritchard was the third significant contributor off the bench. He finished with 22 points and five assists on 9-of-12 shooting with four threes made, posting a +40 — the best plus/minus on either team.
Boston Celtics — Full Box Score
| Player | POS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | STL | BLK | TO | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | F | 30 | 28 | 7 | 9 | 9/12 | 4/4 | 6/10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +25 |
| Sam Hauser | F | 27 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 5/9 | 2/6 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +27 |
| Neemias Queta | C | 15 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4/4 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Baylor Scheierman | G | 22 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 3/3 | 2/2 | 2/2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +18 |
| Derrick White | G | 32 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 4/9 | 4/8 | 0/0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +31 |
| Nikola Vucevic | C | 25 | 28 | 11 | 4 | 9/13 | 3/3 | 7/7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +35 |
| Payton Pritchard | G | 28 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 9/12 | 4/5 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +40 |
| Hugo Gonzalez | G/F | 21 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4/6 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +36 |
| Jordan Walsh | F | 15 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2/2 | 2/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -2 |
| Luka Garza | C | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 2/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 |
| Dalano Banton | G | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1/4 | 0/0 | 2/2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -4 |
| Ron Harper Jr. | F | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1/1 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 |
| John Tonje | F | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 2/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 |
| TOTAL | 148 | 39 | 38 | 52/78 (67%) | 22/34 (65%) | 22/27 (81%) | 7 | 7 | 11 |
Inactive: Jayson Tatum (Right Achilles Repair), Amari Williams, Max Shulga
Brooklyn Nets — Full Box Score
| Player | POS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | STL | BLK | TO | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Porter Jr. | F | 26 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 6/12 | 2/4 | 4/5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -23 |
| Noah Clowney | F | 22 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 4/9 | 2/4 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -17 |
| Nic Claxton | C | 23 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 5/9 | 0/0 | 2/4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -20 |
| Egor Demin | G | 22 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2/4 | 1/3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -9 |
| Nolan Traore | G | 24 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 4/9 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -19 |
| Terance Mann | G/F | 18 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 3/5 | 2/4 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -23 |
| Day’Ron Sharpe | C | 15 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1/7 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -14 |
| Danny Wolf | F | 23 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 5/12 | 2/6 | 4/4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -15 |
| Josh Minott | F | 16 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4/7 | 1/3 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -16 |
| Ziaire Williams | F | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2/5 | 1/3 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -21 |
| Grant Nelson | F/C | 10 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -3 |
| Ben Saraf | G | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3/3 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 |
| Ochai Agbaji | G/F | 8 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3/3 | 2/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| Jalen Wilson | F | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0/2 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| TOTAL | 111 | 25 | 29 | 43/88 (49%) | 14/34 (41%) | 11/16 (69%) | 7 | 2 | 12 |
Inactive: E.J. Liddell, Tyson Etienne, Drake Powell, Chaney Johnson
Team Stats Comparison
| Stat | Brooklyn Nets | Boston Celtics |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 49% (43/88) | 67% (52/78) |
| Three-Point % | 41% (14/34) | 65% (22/34) |
| Free Throw % | 69% (11/16) | 81% (22/27) |
| Total Rebounds | 25 | 39 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 9 | 7 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 16 | 32 |
| Assists | 29 | 38 |
| Steals | 7 | 7 |
| Blocks | 2 | 7 |
| Turnovers | 12 | 12 |
| Points in Paint | 54 | 48 |
| Fast Break Points | 17 | 12 |
| Points off Turnovers | 20 | 19 |
| Bench Points | 56 | 77 |
| Largest Lead | 2 | 41 |
| Time Leading | 1% | 95% |
Brooklyn Had No Answers
Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Danny Wolf came off the bench for 16. Nic Claxton added 12.
Brooklyn entered Friday having lost six straight. They left on seven, dropping to 15-44. Their 49% field goal percentage was not poor by normal standards. Against an offense operating at this level, it looked like nothing.
Nolan Traore led the team with seven assists in 24 minutes, one of the few bright spots from a Nets perspective. Rookie Egor Demin added five points and two assists in 22 minutes but struggled to make an impact.
Where Jayson Tatum Stands
Tatum sat in a suit at TD Garden on Friday. He has been out since May 12, 2025, when he tore his right Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks.
Before tip-off, there was genuine speculation he might make his season debut. Tatum had said publicly that he wants his first game back to be at home. That did not happen — Boston officially listed him as out before the game.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Tatum had been participating in full 5-on-5 scrimmage work with the G League Maine Celtics, with a March return described as a possibility.
“The common theme that I’ve gotten around Jayson Tatum is he will be back on the floor when ‘JT feels like JT.’ The Celtics have continued to let him lead that process.” — Shams Charania, ESPN
Tatum later told reporters: “It’s just the progression of rehab, and returning to practice is just the next step. It doesn’t mean that I’m coming back or not. We’re just following the plan.”
As of March 2, Tatum remains officially out, having also been ruled out for the Celtics’ March 1 home game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Celtics went into Friday night at 38-20 and came out at 39-20, sitting second in the Eastern Conference. They had won five of six since the All-Star break and gone 6-2 since acquiring Vucevic from Chicago.
But the record matters less than what was on display. Boston put up three all-time NBA offensive records, 77 bench points, and 38 assists — without Jayson Tatum on the floor. When a team shoots better than every team before it in league history while still missing its best player, the ceiling question stops being hypothetical.
Friday’s Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics player stats will be cited as a reference point for years. The Celtics made sure of that.
