Boston Celtics complete 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs

By Issy Ronald, CNN

Updated 1024 GMT (1824 HKT) April 26, 2022

Jayson Tatum scored 29 points as the Celtics swept the Nets 4-0 to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

(CNN)The Boston Celtics completed a 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in their Eastern Conference first-round series by holding on to a 116-112 victory Monday night in New York.

The Celtics led from the start as Jayson Tatum scored 29 points before fouling out with 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Nets trailing by just six points.In Tatum's absence, the Nets cut the deficit to one with 1:28 remaining before Jaylen Brown made a clutch late bucket to restore the Celtics' slender lead.Without their top scorer, Boston relied on its league-leading defense led by Marcus Smart — the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year — to prevent the Nets from scoring a field goal in the last 58 seconds of the series.«It's funny to us because we don't duck and dodge anybody,» Smart told the media after the game. «We knew what we were going to come in here and do.»Read MoreThe Nets were led by a heroic Kevin Durant — who scored 39 points, including a three-pointer off one leg which had Smart in awe — and Kyrie Irving contributed 20, but it wasn't enough to prevent the brooms being pulled out by the Celtics.It was the culmination of a disappointing season for the Nets, who had been picked by many as one of the title favorites. Injuries throughout the season to guard Joe Harris and superstar Durant, as well as Irving's extended absence due to his choice not to be vaccinated for Covid-19, hampered their efforts to build momentum.After the game, Irving was asked about his choice to not be vaccinated and told the media, «I felt like I was letting the team down at a