Tatum's buzzer-beater lifts Celtics past Nets in overtime thriller
Jayson Tatum scored 40 points, including the winning basket at the buzzer in overtime, as Boston beat Brooklyn 125–124 on Tuesday 27 October. It is the Celtics' third win of the season.
Contribution SNA · Author profile ·
Listen to this story
Synthetic English voice · 2 min 54 s
Boston needed five extra minutes and a last-gasp shot from Jayson Tatum to get past Brooklyn on Tuesday 27 October. The Celtics won 125–124 after overtime, led by 40 points from their forward. They stole it in a game the Nets refused to let go of for most of the night.
Brooklyn set the early tempo
The visitors took the first quarter 31–26 and held a five-point lead at half-time, 61–56. Boston struggled to find its range from outside. The Nets had several scoring options, with Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and contributions from their young players. Nolan Traoré finished the night with 15 points on 6 of 9 shooting, three assists and two steals.
The Celtics shifted the momentum after the break. They won the third quarter 30–21 and moved ahead, 86–82. Even so, the surge was not enough to shake off Brooklyn: the Nets scored 35 points in the fourth quarter and levelled the game at the end of regulation, 117–117.
Two late twists, and the last word for Tatum
In the closing minutes, Boston found Derrick White near the rim off a Tatum pass. But missed free throws left the door open for the Nets. Mikel Brown Jr. took it with the three-pointer that forced overtime. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Overtime again came down to a single possession. After Brooklyn missed a final attempt, Boston got the ball back on an inbounds play with 2.3 seconds left. White found Tatum, who created a mid-range shot and hit it at the buzzer. The Celtics won the extra period 8–7: their leader's final act turned an uncertain evening into a third straight win.
Forty points, no turnovers
Tatum finished with 40 points, five rebounds and eight assists in 42 minutes, without a turnover. He shot 10 of 20 from the field, including 2 of 7 from three, and made 18 of 22 free throws. His ability to draw fouls let him make an impact even when the outside shot was not falling.
Paul George added 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. White contributed 16 points and seven assists, while Jordan Walsh scored 15 points on 5 of 8 shooting. Boston got key support behind its top scorer, which mattered in a game this tight.
Brooklyn will regret leaving empty-handed despite 27 points and 12 rebounds from Porter, who hit six three-pointers, and 24 points and nine rebounds from Randle. Chaney Johnson and Moritz Wagner scored 15 points each. The Nets remain winless after four games; Boston's record improves to three wins and one defeat.