Tuesday night could have been a disaster for the Celtics.
Against a winless Brooklyn Nets team that won just 20 games a season ago, the Celtics nearly suffered an unfathomable collapse, blowing a four-point lead with four seconds remaining in regulation.
After Jayson Tatum missed a free throw, center Neemias Queta fouled Julius Randle while battling for the rebound, sending Randle to the line with the Celtics still up four and just four seconds remaining.
Randle made the first free throw before intentionally missing the second, giving the Nets another chance to cut into the deficit. Mitchell Robinson grabbed the rebound but missed both of his free-throw attempts, giving Brooklyn one more possession to tie the game.
The Nets took full advantage. After a timeout, rookie Mikel Brown Jr. drilled a three with under a second remaining to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, the Celtics found themselves trailing for three of the five minutes in the period. But thanks to an inexcusable decision from the regulation hero, Brown Jr., who shot 1-of-6 (16.7%) in overtime, the Celtics got one last chance to escape with a win. With the shot clock turned off, Brown inexplicably attempted a layup instead of dribbling out the clock or drawing a foul and missed, giving the Celtics one final possession with 2.3 seconds remaining. Tatum delivered.
After a timeout from Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics ran an off-ball action with Tatum and Payton Pritchard. Tatum got the switch with Brown Jr. matched up on him and took advantage, taking two dribbles to his left, before rising up and drilling a 17-foot jumper.
Jayson Tatum wins it for the Celtics. https://t.co/I8NaxOwiA1
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) October 28, 2026
“It’s a read,” Mazzulla said of the final possession. “It’s no different than any other possession. You put two players that you know can make plays, which are Payton and JT; those guys can make plays on their own, and JT is a great screener, and you’re just playing two-on-two in that situation. You’ve got to make a read: Did they switch? Did they not switch? If they switch, what’s your body position? If they don’t switch, where are you catching it, and where are you driving after that? So I thought it was, even before the shot, it was executed really well by those two guys. JT got the switch; he held him underneath and then created separation, caught it, and drove away from help. And he was able to knock it down and win the game for us.”
Paul George’s account was much more straightforward.
“We got the ball to the MVP, and he took us home,” George said.
What did Paul George see on Jayson Tatum’s game winner?“We got the ball to the MVP and he took us home.” https://t.co/LhLj0XgrBm
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) October 28, 2026
That he did.
In an MVP-like performance, Tatum delivered when the Celtics needed him most, helping them secure their third straight win while saving them from what would have been an embarrassing loss.
Playing in his first back-to-back since tearing his Achilles in May 2025, Tatum finished with a season-high 40 points and went to the free-throw line 22 times, making 18 of them to set new career highs in both makes and attempts. The Nets had no answer for Tatum’s aggression and physicality, as he shot 8-of-13 (61.5%) in the paint. He was 6-of-9 (66.7%) on paint attempts, including 3-of-4 (75%) in the restricted area.
Tatum also added a game-high eight assists, five rebounds and a block. The 28-year-old became just the second player in franchise history to score at least 40 points and record at least eight assists without a turnover in 40 or more minutes, joining Larry Bird, who accomplished the feat twice. Including Tatum, just 13 players in NBA history have recorded that stat line.
Furthermore, Tatum notched his 30th career 40-point game, the second-most in franchise history behind only Bird’s 47.
“He just gave the game exactly what it needed,” Mazzulla said. “I thought he was playing the right way. I thought he trusted on both ends of the floor. He was patient. He was getting downhill. Even some of the shots he missed, I thought they were great shots. Defensively, he was active. He got rebounds. I thought he just gave the game exactly what it needed. Stay in the present moment, and you got to see his greatness.”
Joe Mazzulla on Jayson Tatum’s night:“You got to see his greatness.” https://t.co/an4dyPotdI
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) October 28, 2026
Tatum’s greatness was especially evident in the fourth quarter and overtime. After taking over against the Knicks, scoring nine points on 4-of-4 shooting in the final 3:30, Tatum once again came through down the stretch against Brooklyn. He scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring or assisting on six of the Celtics’ 12 made field goals.
His 19 clutch points, defined by the NBA as points scored in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime with the score within five points, lead the league.
“That was a hell of a feeling,” Tatum said of his first buzzer-beater since returning from injury. “Just kind of getting back to doing things that I used to do before I was injured.”
Through the first four games, Tatum looks like the First Team All-NBA player he was before the injury. He is averaging 28.0 points, 8.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and a steal per game. He leads the team in total points (112), assists (32), and rebounds (25), while ranking among the league’s top six in both points and assists.
This is the Tatum the Celtics needed and expected to have this season. So far, he’s delivered resoundingly.
