Celtics put the league, Raptors on notice after shredding the Nets

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It was one of the most dominant performances we have seen from the Boston Celtics all season. 

The team’s 149-115 win over Brooklyn did more than just pad their record, which is the third-best in the East now. 

Consider Wednesday’s whacking of the Nets as a warning shot of sorts to the Toronto Raptors, who remain ahead of Boston in the standings and will face the Celtics on Friday in one of the more highly-anticipated games inside the Bubble.

Don't miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Celtics-Raptors, which begins Friday at 8 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live followed by tip-off at 9 p.m. You can also stream the game on the MyTeams App.

Jaylen Brown, who had a game-high 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting, summed up where the Celtics’ mindset is right now.

“Making sure we play the game the right way defensively, being a really, really good team, being a (expletive) to beat going into the playoffs,” Brown said. “We figure that out we’ll be alright.”

The execution level the Celtics were playing at most of the game was the kind of carving job you usually see in a butcher’s shop. 

Jumpers.

Lay-ups.

Dunks.

Deflections. 

The Celtics got anything and everything they wanted from Brooklyn, all game long which served as a reminder that Kyrie Irving … or Kevin Durant … or any player of significance was not coming through that door for Brooklyn, which was coming off one of the greatest upsets in decades by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Meanwhile, the Celtics were looking to put their loss to the Miami Heat behind them as soon as they could. 

Did. They. Ever.

All 13 players on Boston’s active roster saw at least six minutes of court time on Wednesday with each player scoring at least three points.  

While the Celtics can’t anticipate they will have many more — if any — games like this going forward, the way Boston played at both ends of the floor against the Nets was the kind of performance the Celtics would love to build on going forward. 

And the feel-good vibes that come about with a resounding victory, will certainly be put to the ultimate test against a Toronto team that’s one of the deepest, most talented teams in the NBA. 

Celtics Talk Podcast: Have Williams & Langford earned more trust? | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube

Here’s a look at some of the standout performers on Wednesday.

Who’s hot

Jaylen Brown: Arguably the best player for the Celtics since the season restart, Brown was once again causing opponents at both ends of the floor. He led all Celtics with 21 points in the blowout win over Brooklyn. 

Robert Williams III: It was about as flawless a game as you could imagine Robert Williams III playing. He finished with a career-high 18 points while making all seven of his shot attempts to go with five rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots.

Jeremiah Martin: He’s making the most of his opportunity to play decent minutes. The former Memphis Tiger guard who is on a two-way contract with the Nets, led all Brooklyn scorers with 20 points in just under 16 minutes of court time. 

Jayson Tatum: Very efficient scoring the ball tonight before finishing with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting. 

Romeo Langford: He only had four points but his defense in a near-26 minutes of court time along with his passing, made it easier to understand why he had a team-best plus/minus (+27).

Who’s not

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: My, how quickly things change. After dropping 26 points in Brooklyn’s historic win over the Milwaukee Bucks, TLC was back on earth scoring just four points. 

Brooklyn defense: For years they have taken great pride in being a scrappy bunch. But on Wednesday, somebody dropped the ‘S’ and because of that, the Nets were dropped hard by the Celtics who scored a season-high 149 points. 

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