Now, that’s how you start a playoff series.
Thanks to an absurd buzzer-beating layup from All-Star forward Jayson Tatum, the Celtics secured a 115–114 victory over the Nets in a wild Game 1 inside TD Garden on Sunday afternoon.
Tatum’s clutch basket came after the Celtics secured the rebound following a missed Kevin Durant three with 15 seconds remaining. The ball found its way into the hands of Jaylen Brown with a little under 10 seconds to go before the All-Star kicked it out to Marcus Smart at the three-point line.
Smart faked the shot attempt, sending two Nets defenders flying, before penetrating the lane and finding a cutting Tatum who caught the ball in the paint, spun past Kyrie Irving and converted the shot as the clock hit zero.