Jayson Tatum delivered a statement night in Boston, capping a 40-point performance with a 17-foot jumper at the overtime buzzer as the Celtics beat the Nets 125-124 on Tuesday night. It was Tatum’s first 40-point game since his return from a torn Achilles, and it sealed Boston’s third straight win.
Jayson Tatum (Credits: NBA)
The finish was as dramatic as it gets. With the game tied late in overtime, Tatum got the ball with just seconds left and buried the winner as the buzzer sounded, sending TD Garden into a frenzy and leaving Brooklyn still searching for its first win of the season.
Jayson Tatum 40-Point Night Caps Celtics Comeback
Tatum finished 10 of 20 from the field and a career-high 18 of 22 from the free-throw line, adding eight assists and five rebounds in 42 minutes. It was a heavy workload for a player still building back to full strength, and he embraced it, attacking the rim again and again when Boston needed baskets.
Paul George added 20 points for Boston, while Derrick White scored 16 and Jordan Walsh chipped in 15. For Brooklyn, Michael Porter Jr. led the way with 27 points and 12 rebounds, and Julius Randle added 24, but the Nets fell to 0-4.
How the Celtics vs Nets OT Thriller Unfolded
The game swung back and forth all night. Neither team led by more than eight points, and Boston trailed 61-56 at halftime after a cold start from three-point range. The Celtics found their rhythm in the third quarter, hitting eight threes to take an 86-82 lead into the fourth.
Late drama came thick and fast. White slipped behind the defence for a tiebreaking dunk with 33.7 seconds left in regulation, only for Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. to hit a tying three-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining to force overtime. In the extra period, Brown missed a layup with 2.3 seconds left — and Tatum made Brooklyn pay.
After the game, Tatum spoke about enjoying the small signs that his old self is returning, 18 months on from his Achilles injury. On this evidence, the progress is very real. Boston now hosts Chicago on Friday, with momentum firmly on its side.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
