Celtics 125, Nets 124

 

Jayson Tatum for President! Who would have thought that the toughest game of the year so far for the Celtics would be against the 0-4 Brooklyn Nets, and it would take a miracle, 18-foot turnaround jumper from the top of the key by Tatum as the clock expired in overtime to win the game?

The Nets took an early lead and held onto that lead for the first two-and-a-half quarters. They led by four points at the half and took a seven-point lead early in the third. The Celtics fought back and eventually tied the game, but the Nets never gave up, even after the Celtics led by four at the end of the third. It looked like it was game over when the Celtics took a seven-point lead midway through the fourth, but the Nets tied it back up and the game went into overtime.

The Nets ran up a five-point lead in the OT, but fortunately, the Celtics never gave up either. They pulled back to within one point on a pair of Paul George free throws, and then with two seconds left on the clock, Brooklyn rookie Mikel Brown, Jr. made a rookie mistake and took a shot at the basket when all he needed to do was just hold onto the ball for another two seconds to win the game. The shot missed, Derrick White got the ball to Tatum, who fired off the game-winning walk-off basket with no time left on the clock to give the Celtics probably their hardest-won victory of the season so far.

Whew!

Tatum finished the night with 40 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. He's still struggling from outside, going 2-7 on threes, and last night it was Jordan Walsh who had the hottest hand on threes, getting nine of his 15 points from outside on 3-5 shooting. PAyton Pritchard, last night's fdwontown hero, went 2-7 from outside.  

Last night, the Knicks got their first win of the season by handing Detroit their first loss of the season, and now there are no undefeated teams left in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are now tied at 3-1 with Detroit, Charlotte, and Philly in the East, and with Philly in the Atlantic Division. 

Friday night, the Celtics play the Chicago Bulls (1-3) again. On Monday, Boston beat the Bulls. 134-99, and tomorrow, and now here they come back to the Garden again for some more. 

"Please, sir, may I have seconds?"