Jayson Tatum scored 40 points and buried a 17-foot jumper at the overtime buzzer to lift the Boston Celtics to a 125-124 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night at TD Garden.
Boston improved to 3-1 and extended its winning streak to three games, while Brooklyn fell to 0-4. Tatum finished 10-of-20 from the field and 18-of-22 from the free-throw line, adding eight assists and five rebounds without committing a turnover.
The Celtics appeared to have secured the win in regulation when Derrick White slipped behind Brooklyn’s defense for a go-ahead dunk off a Tatum pass with 33.7 seconds remaining. White converted the ensuing free throw to put Boston ahead 114-111.
However, Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. forced overtime with a three-pointer with 0.2 seconds left. The sixth overall pick in the NBA draft out of Louisville finished with 17 points, five assists and four made three-pointers, although he shot 5-of-17 from the field.
Boston had another chance to close out the game at the free-throw line late in regulation, but Mitchell Robinson missed both attempts with three seconds remaining. Robinson, a career 50.7% free-throw shooter, went 1-of-4 from the line and is 2-of-8 this season.
In overtime, Brown missed a layup with 2.3 seconds remaining, giving Boston the final possession. Tatum took advantage, hitting the game-winning jumper as time expired to complete his 40-point performance.
Paul George added 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Boston, while White contributed 16 points and seven assists. Jordan Walsh also scored 15 points, and Sam Hauser added 11 off the bench.
Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 27 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 6-of-12 from three-point range. Julius Randle scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Chaney Johnson and Moritz Wagner each contributed 15 points off the bench.
Neither team led by more than eight points. Brooklyn held a 61-56 halftime advantage despite making just two of its 16 three-point attempts in the first half. The Celtics improved from long range after the break, making nine of 22 attempts in the second half, and finished 11-of-41 from three-point range overall.
The Celtics will host the Chicago Bulls on Friday, October 30, while Brooklyn will host the Detroit Pistons that night.
