Jayson Tatum’s 40 points powered Boston past Brooklyn, 125-124, after a late Nets push forced overtime.
The Boston Celtics survived the Brooklyn Nets 125-124 in overtime, with Jayson Tatum’s 40 points leading the way. Boston trailed 61-56 at halftime, then outscored Brooklyn 30-21 in the third to take an 86-82 lead before the Nets’ 35-31 fourth quarter tied the game at 117. Tatum shot 10-of-20 from the field and 18-of-22 at the line, adding 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 0 steals, 1 block and 0 turnovers. Paul George scored 20 on 8-of-16 shooting, with 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks and 3 turnovers, while Derrick White had 16 on 5-of-15 shooting and 5-of-5 free throws, plus 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks and 3 turnovers. Michael Porter Jr. paced Brooklyn with 27 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 6-of-12 from three, along with 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 2 blocks and 3 turnovers; Julius Randle added 24 on 10-of-23 shooting, with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks and 5 turnovers. Mikel Brown Jr. scored 17 on 5-of-17 shooting, with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks and 2 turnovers, while Moritz Wagner added 15 on 6-of-9 shooting, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks and 0 turnovers. Boston won the overtime period 8-7 to seal the one-point result.
Key Performers
Jayson Tatum, BOS: 40 PTS, 5 REB, 8 AST; 10/20 FG, 18/22 FT Michael Porter Jr., BKN: 27 PTS, 12 REB; 8/16 FG, 6/12 3PT Julius Randle, BKN: 24 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST; 10/23 FG
Standings Impact
Boston improves from 2-1 to 3-1, while Brooklyn drops from 0-3 to 0-4.
DYMA Insight
Boston entered ranked ninth in the Power Index, well ahead of Brooklyn at 28th, but needed an 8-7 overtime edge to finish the job. Tatum’s 40-point night was the difference in a game where Brooklyn’s fourth-quarter surge erased Boston’s four-point lead.