JAYSON Tatum delivered 33 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, leading the Boston Celtics to a thrilling 108-104 overtime victory against the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Tatum shot 11-of-25 from the field and drained five 3-pointers, marking his sixth 30-point performance this season. Payton Pritchard contributed 20 points, while Jrue Holiday added 17. Derrick White chipped in with 14 points and six assists, and Al Horford recorded his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Boston outscored Brooklyn 14-10 in overtime, with Horford’s clutch corner 3-pointer off a Tatum skip pass giving the Celtics a 105-102 lead with 1:19 left. Tatum’s turnaround jumper and a Dennis Schroder layup put the game out of reach, while free throws from Pritchard and White sealed the win in the closing seconds.
For the Nets, Cam Thomas led the effort with 31 points, while Dennis Schroder scored 20 and Cameron Johnson posted 18 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Brooklyn jumped to an early 12-0 lead, hitting their first five shots and forcing an early Celtics timeout. The Celtics gradually chipped away, with Tatum’s hot shooting helping Boston trim the deficit to 28-24 by the end of the first quarter.
Boston didn’t capture its first lead until Sam Hauser’s offensive rebound set up a Jrue Holiday layup, putting the Celtics up 89-88 with 4:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. After a three by Schroder briefly gave Brooklyn the advantage again, Hauser responded with his own three-pointer, and Tatum’s driving dunk with 31.4 seconds left in regulation gave Boston a 94-92 edge. However, a loose-ball foul sent Johnson to the line, where he hit two free throws to force overtime.
Despite some back-and-forth action, Boston maintained their momentum in OT, securing a hard-fought comeback victory and keeping their strong season start intact. (REUTERS)