Simons epitomized the reality in front of Boston for that Nets loss, and was not being offered as an excuse for how the Celtics played.

The Brooklyn Nets pulled off a shocking 113-105 road victory against the Boston Celtics on Friday, days after they fell to that same team in their own building.

The Boston Celtics aren't as feared as they were with Jayson Tatum, but rival scouts and executives say they are still a tough out.

Naulls was, with Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, and Tom Sanders, part of the first all-Black lineup in the history of North American pro sports in 1964, and a key part of three of Boston's titles in their golden age of dominance in the mid-1960s. He averaged 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game with the Celtics -- rest in peace.

NESN’s Collin Keane took things a step further, predicting that the Dubs will cut ties with Kuminga in favor of an NBA champion Boston Celtics forward. “Kuminga is a $22.5 million cap hit who has a team option for next season, so he’s essentially expiring,” Keane wrote Friday.

Joe Mazzulla needs to find that energy every game now for the Celtics to have a chance against tough opponents. On Friday, he waited too long, keeping Hugo Gonzalez on the bench until the fourth quarter and keeping Jordan Walsh on the sidelines during the Nets’ 19-4 run. Those were the only two guys Brown praised after the loss.

A lot of the media portrayals of Boston Celtics fan favorite point guard Isaiah Thomas after he was traded away from the team for then-Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving unfairly framed Thomas as holding onto a past that no longer existed regarding his exit from the Celtics.