Jayson Tatum hit an easy buzzer-beater from the elbow on Monday night, lifting the Boston Celtics to a 125-124 overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets. That shot secured Boston’s third straight victory, pushing them to a strong 3-1 start to the new season, while the Nets are still searching for their first win, now sitting at a tough 0-4.
The Rookie Mistake That Cost Everything
Tatum absolutely called game on Monday, but let’s be real, his heroics were only possible after a brutal mistake from Nets rookie Mikel Brown on the other end. Picture this: Nets are up by two, only seconds left on the clock. All Brown had to do was hold onto the ball, take a foul, or just let time expire. Simple, right? Nope. Instead, he made a move to the rim and completely missed the layup. You have to be kidding me. That gave Boston one final chance, and Tatum, of course, capitalized. He took two quick dribbles off an inbounds pass, expertly pulled up from the elbow, and drilled a jumper he’s made countless times. Time expired. TD Garden absolutely erupted, and Tatum just jogged the other way with his hand in the air like it was nothing. What a brutal sequence for Brooklyn.
A Tough Break For an Otherwise Solid Night
Look, Brown’s blunder is going to overshadow everything else, and it should. But the kid actually had an impressive night otherwise. Brown, who the Nets took with the No. 6 overall pick out of Louisville earlier this year, dropped 17 points off the bench. He even hit an off-balanced 3-pointer that *sent the game into overtime* in the first place! The rookie appears to be off to a very solid start to his NBA career despite that heartbreaking mistake. You gotta believe leaving Tatum with time to spare in a critical moment is not something he’s going to do again. He’s learning the hard way, that’s for sure.
Celtics Roll On, Nets Searching for Answers
Tatum was a monster all night, finishing with 40 points and eight assists. He even made a career-high 18 free throws in the win. Paul George chipped in with 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Derrick White added 16 points. For the Nets, Michael Porter Jr. led the charge with 27 points and 12 rebounds, and Julius Randle put up 24 points and nine boards. Despite those big numbers, the Nets are still stuck at 0-4. They’re going to need to figure things out fast if they want to turn this season around, especially when these kinds of game-changing errors are happening.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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