Tatum Buzzer-Beater Lifts Celtics Past Nets 125-124 in OT

Photo: Halley from Boston, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (file photo of a Celtics game at the Garden, not from this game).

Jayson Tatum hit a 17-foot jumper at the overtime buzzer on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, to give the Boston Celtics a 125-124 win over the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden. The Tatum buzzer-beater capped a 40-point night and gave Boston its third straight win, lifting the Celtics to 3-1, according to the NBA’s official scorer’s report.

How the final 2.3 seconds played out

Boston got the last possession after Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. took a contested layup with time on the clock instead of waiting to be fouled, CBS Sports reported. Derrick White inbounded to Tatum, who spun left, took two dribbles and pulled up from the free-throw line. The shot dropped as time expired.

The game was close throughout. Brooklyn put together a 17-6 run that bridged the first and second quarters, and Boston answered with a 20-5 stretch from the third quarter into the fourth, according to the NBA’s game summary. Tatum’s layup with 2:52 left in overtime cut a Nets lead to 121-119 before the final sequence.

Tatum’s line and what it adds to the record book

Tatum shot 10 of 20 from the field, 2 of 7 from 3-point range and 18 of 22 from the line, with five rebounds, eight assists and no turnovers in 42 minutes and 20 seconds, per the NBA.com box score. He was plus-5 in a one-point game.

CBS Sports said it was Tatum’s 30th career 40-point game, tied for the second most in Celtics history behind Larry Bird’s 47, and his fourth 40-point game without a turnover. The outlet also counted seven game-winning shots with three or fewer seconds left for Tatum this decade, the most of any NBA player in the 2020s.

Tatum, about 18 months removed from a torn Achilles tendon that cost him most of last season, told reporters afterward that he is “really starting to feel like my old self,” according to CBS Sports.

By the numbers: Boston won at the line, lost from deep

The Nets made more shots overall, 45 to 42, and won the 3-point battle 17 to 11, which is worth an 18-point edge from beyond the arc. Boston erased that at the free-throw line, going 30 of 38 to Brooklyn’s 17 of 22, a 13-point gap. The Celtics won despite shooting worse from every spot on the floor except the free-throw line. Tatum alone made more free throws (18) than the entire Nets roster (17). Rebounds (47-48) and turnovers (14-15) were nearly even. These comparisons are TBR calculations from the NBA box score.

Paul George added 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on 8-of-16 shooting. White scored 16 with seven assists, Jordan Walsh had 15 on 5-of-8 shooting, and Sam Hauser hit three 3-pointers for 11 off the bench. Luka Garza was plus-18 in 12 minutes, the best mark on either team.

For Brooklyn, now 0-4, Michael Porter Jr. scored 27 points with 12 rebounds and went 6 of 12 from deep. Julius Randle had 24 points and nine rebounds but missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. Brown finished with 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting.

As a team, Boston shot 45.2% from the field, 26.8% from 3-point range and 78.9% from the line. Brooklyn shot 46.4%, 34% and 77.3%. The free-throw gap traced back to fouls: the Nets were called for 30 personal fouls to Boston’s 24, with Randle and Chaney Johnson each fouling out with six. Neemias Queta went 3 for 3 from the field for seven points in 15 minutes but also picked up six fouls. Brooklyn’s bench was productive, with Nolan Traore, Moritz Wagner and Johnson scoring 15 points apiece.

Celtics streak and what’s next

Boston has not lost since blowing a 22-point lead in its season opener at Detroit, as we covered in our Celtics-Pistons opener recap. The run includes the 134-99 rout of Chicago in which Payton Pritchard scored 28 points.

The Celtics host the Bulls again on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden in an NBA Cup group-stage game, according to the team’s game page. Dates for the rest of the season are on our Celtics schedule page.

Sources

• NBA official scorer’s report, Nets at Celtics, Oct. 27, 2026
• NBA.com box score
• CBS Sports: Tatum says he’s ‘starting to feel like my old self’

Additional sources

• Associated Press game recap
• NBA.com: Bulls vs. Celtics, Oct. 30, 2026