Jayson Tatum Scores 40, Beats the Nets at the Overtime Buzzer

By The Arena Staff

BOSTON, Oct. 27, 2026 — The Nets had 2.3 seconds to protect a one-point lead in overtime. That turned out to be exactly enough time for Jayson Tatum.

Derrick White inbounded to Tatum, who rose from around the free-throw line and buried a 17-foot jumper as the horn sounded, giving the Boston Celtics a 125-124 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night at TD Garden. Tatum finished with 40 points, eight assists and five rebounds, according to the Associated Press and the NBA.com box score.

He got there the hard way. Tatum shot 10 of 20 from the field, but the real work came at the line, where he went 18 of 22. It was a big early-season night for a player who missed almost all of last season recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon.

Boston should never have needed overtime. With 33.7 seconds left in regulation, White slipped behind the Brooklyn defense, took a feed from Tatum and dunked through contact, then made the free throw for a 114-111 lead, the AP reported. Mitchell Robinson then missed two free throws with 3 seconds left, and Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr., the sixth pick in this year's draft out of Louisville, hit a tying 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds on the clock.

Brown nearly finished the job, too. His layup with 2.3 seconds left in overtime missed, and that set up the final play. He scored 17 points in the loss.

It was close all night. Neither team led by more than eight points, and Brooklyn went ahead 109-104 on a Julius Randle basket with 2:57 left in the fourth before Boston rallied. The Celtics kept themselves in it despite a cold night from deep, going 11 of 41 from 3-point range, including 2 of 16 in the first half.

Paul George added 20 points and seven assists, and White had 16 points for Boston, which has won three straight since blowing a 22-point lead in its opener at Detroit. Michael Porter Jr. had 27 points and 12 rebounds and Randle scored 24 for Brooklyn, which fell to 0-4.

Both teams play again Friday night, with Boston hosting Chicago and Brooklyn hosting Detroit.

Sources: AP via CBS Sports, ESPN, NBC Sports Boston and the NBA.com box score.