Jayson Tatum made an elbow jumper as time expired in overtime to give the Boston Celtics a 125-124 victory over the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
Tatum scored a game-high 40 points and made a career-high 18 free throws on 22 attempts. Paul George added 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Boston.
Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Julius Randle finished with 24 points and nine rebounds.
Brooklyn trailed 117-114 late in the fourth, but Mikel Brown Jr. sent the game to overtime by making a 3-pointer with one second left in regulation. Boston trailed 124-123 in overtime when it took possession with 2.3 seconds to play, enough time for Tatum to sink the game-winning shot.
The Celtics led 24-21 late in the first quarter, but a 10-0 run put Brooklyn up by seven. The Nets led 31-26 after one quarter.
An 8-0 run by the Celtics tied the game, 45-45, but Brooklyn had a 61-56 halftime lead. Boston was 2 of 16 on 3-point attempts in the half.
The Celtics were within one, 71-70, following a Jordan Walsh 3-pointer with 7:40 remaining in the third, but the Nets regained the momentum by scoring the next six points. Boston shaved Brooklyn’s lead to 79-78 following a Baylor Scheierman 3-pointer with 2:20 remaining in the third, and took an 81-79 lead on a Tatum 3-pointer with 1:18 left in the quarter.
Boston made eight 3-pointers in the third quarter and had an 86-82 lead entering the fourth.
The Celtics had their largest lead, 90-82, after they scored the first four points in the final quarter, but the Nets regained the lead on a Brown 3-pointer that capped a 9-0 run and made it 99-97 with 6:42 left.
Brooklyn had a 109-104 advantage, but Tatum tied the game on a layup and Boston went in front 111-109 on two Derrick White free throws with 1:40 to play.
