Tristan Thompson says Celtics ‘don’t give a s**t’ about Nets’ swagger

Boston Celtics center Tristan Thompson isn’t concerning himself with the Brooklyn Nets’ sense of swagger as the teams prepare for Game 2.

The Boston Celtics have some work to do to get a foothold in their NBA playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn took Game 1, 104-93, even though Boston jumped out to an early lead.

Center Tristan Thompson doesn’t want anyone to think the Celtics will back down in the face of their impressive opponents though.

Thompson was asked about the swagger displayed by the Nets. His response left no doubt about his feelings on the matter.

“I mean, listen, give a team with Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, you better step on the court feeling good about yourself,” Thompson said, per Paul Schwartz of The New York Post. “But we don’t give a s**t about that. I think they put their socks on, their shoes on just like us. So we’re not intimidated or anything like that.”

Tristan Thompson says the Celtics aren’t intimidated by the Nets

The Celtics weren’t intimidated when they built a 12-point lead partway through the second quarter against the Nets in Game 1. They were shaken early in the third quarter when Brooklyn wrestled back control, though.

To back up his statement, Thompson will probably need to perform better than he did in his 25 minutes on Saturday. While he snagged 10 rebounds, he managed only 4 points.

Boston got 22 points out of Jayson Tatum, who went 6-for-20 on the night. It’s doubtful he was intimidated either. He just needs to start knocking his shots down.

The trouble is confidence can only take you so far. As Thompson said, the Nets have swagger because they have a formidable trio in Durant, Harden and Irving. The Celtics may be able to stand firm against that star power. That doesn’t mean they’ll be capable of beating them.