Even on the second night of a back-to-back, one would think that the Boston Celtics shouldn't have too much trouble defeating the Brooklyn Nets at home. This is especially the case when they were able to rest most of their key players the previous night after blowing out the Chicago Bulls, 134-99. But in the end, the Celtics didn't just need overtime, they also needed Jayson Tatum to bail them out with a game-winner to come away with a 125-124 victory.
At the very least, Celtics diehard fan Bill Simmons can now breathe a sigh of relief after seeing his team somehow come away with the win in a game where both teams were throwing.
“The Celtics just survived the Dumb Crunch-Time Olympics. Tatum!!!!!” Simmons wrote on his official X account.
The Celtics' execution late in the fourth quarter left so much to be desired. With around four seconds left in regulation, the Celtics had an opportunity to ice the game in the fourth with free throws from Tatum. Instead, Tatum missed one, and Boston could only go up by four, 117-113. An immediate loose ball foul would give the Nets a chance to respond from the foul line, and Julius Randle would miss one, so the Celtics were still up by three.
Article Continues BelowThis is when disaster would ensue for the Celtics. They brought in Mitchell Robinson to secure the rebound, but the Nets were able to foul him immediately. Robinson, a career 50.7% shooter from the foul line entering the night, missed both — leaving the door wide-open for Brooklyn. Mikel Brown Jr. would then tie the game and send it to overtime with a tough triple on the left corner.
But in the end, it was Brown who gave the game away due to his inexperience. In the dying embers of overtime, with Brooklyn up by just one and the shot clock off, he chose to lay the ball up instead of waiting to get fouled. He missed the bunny, the Celtics got the board, and Tatum got Boston the win with a game-winner right over the Nets rookie's head.

