NBA
Tatum’s Overtime Buzzer-Beater Caps 40-Point Night Against Nets
Tatum scored 40 and hit the winner at the overtime buzzer as Boston beat Brooklyn 125–124 for its third consecutive victory.
Jayson Tatum completed a 40-point performance with a jumper at the overtime buzzer as the Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets 125–124 on Tuesday night. The shot delivered Boston’s third consecutive victory and left Brooklyn still searching for its first win after four games.
The Associated Press game report described the decisive basket as a 17-foot jumper. It came after Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. missed a layup with 2.3 seconds remaining in overtime, giving Boston a final chance to turn a one-point deficit into a win.
Brooklyn had forced the extra period in dramatic fashion. Brown made a tying three-pointer with 0.2 seconds left in regulation after Boston center Mitchell Robinson missed two late free throws. Brown, the sixth selection in June’s draft out of Louisville, finished with 17 points.
Tatum went 10-for-20 from the field and made 18 of 22 free throws. His work at the line provided an important source of offense on a night when Boston’s outside shooting started slowly. The Celtics made only two of their first 16 three-point attempts and trailed 61–56 at halftime.
Paul George added 20 points and Derrick White scored 16 for Boston. Sportsnet’s game summary also credited Tatum with eight assists and five rebounds, adding playmaking and rebounding to the scoring that decided the contest.
Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Julius Randle supplied 24 points. Neither team led by more than eight, and the Nets held a five-point advantage with less than three minutes remaining in regulation before Boston responded.
The result continued Boston’s recovery from an opening defeat at Detroit in which it surrendered a substantial lead. Tuesday required a different kind of finish: surviving a last-second regulation equalizer and producing another response after falling behind in overtime.
Boston next hosts Chicago on Friday, while Brooklyn returns home to face Detroit the same night. For the Celtics, Tatum’s final shot converted a closely contested game into another early-season win; for the Nets, a competitive performance still ended without the result they needed.
