Jayson Tatum put the Celtics on his back in overtime and walked out of Brooklyn with a statement win, a buzzer-beater, and a stack of historic marks to go with it.
Boston’s 125-124 victory over the Nets came down to the final shot, and Tatum answered with a turnaround bucket at the overtime horn to seal it. The finish sent Celtics fans into a frenzy and added another loud moment to a season in which Tatum has already been doing plenty of heavy lifting.
JAYSON TATUM. GAME-WINNING @TISSOT BUZZER-BEATER TO SEAL IT FOR THE CELTICS IN OT 🤯😳 🚨⏰Everyone Gets 24 https://t.co/UwK9VKPJeq
- NBA (@NBA) October 28, 2026
The reaction online came fast. One fan wrote, "Jayson Tatum lookin like the MVP lmao," while another took aim at the old debate around Boston’s star core: "If u ever thought Tatum should’ve been traded over brown at any point in their time in Boston together, go kick rocks.
Tatum is winning MVP this year. His world we’re just living in it."
Another pointed out how often Tatum has been delivering in late-game spots: "It gets lost every season how clutch Tatum is, but that's 2 games in 4 this season where he's just hit shots everytime he's been called upon."
The overtime winner was just the headline moment. Tatum logged a team-high 42 minutes and turned in a complete night, scoring 40 points on 50% shooting and hitting 81.8% of his free throws.
He also handed out eight assists without a single turnover, serving as both the closer and the engine for Boston’s offense. On top of that, he added five rebounds and a block as the Celtics earned their third win of the season.
The performance also pushed Tatum into some rare company in Celtics history. He now has the lead in 40-point, 5-rebound, and 5-assist games before turning 29 in franchise history. He also became the fastest Celtics player to reach 100-plus points, 25-plus rebounds, and 25-plus assists, sitting at 112 points, 25 rebounds, and 32 assists so far in the 2026-27 season.
Tatum added another line to the record book, too. He became only the second player in Celtics history to post 40-plus points and 8-plus assists without turning the ball over. Larry Bird is the only one who has done it twice, against the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988 and the Orlando Magic in 1990, per Dick Lipe of NBC Sports.
Boston got another notable defensive night from Paul George as well. The veteran played 36 minutes and finished with two steals, helping disrupt Brooklyn’s offense.
That performance moved him to 2.3 steals per game, the highest mark in Celtics history. The list behind him includes Rajon Rondo at 1.9, David Wesley and Larry Bird at 1.7, and a cluster of others further down the board.
The season is still young, but Tatum already looks comfortable carrying the load when the moment demands it.
In Other News...
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The incident also came with a technical foul for Robinson, adding another layer to a game that already had a competitive edge to it. Boston carried an 86-82 lead into the fourth quarter, with the kind of playoff-style friction that can linger as the game gets late. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Have A Payton Pritchard Debate That Could Grow Fast
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Joe Mazzulla appears content to keep Pritchard in that sixth-man lane, with Jordan Walsh getting the start instead, but the debate is starting to bubble up for a reason. When the Celtics are short-handed, there is a clear case for giving Pritchard more runway with the first group, and his shot creation has become too important to treat as a luxury no matter where he enters the game. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Is Carrying The Celtics In A Way Fans Notice
Jayson Tatum has a way of making early-season games feel bigger than they are, and Monday night was another reminder. He poured in 40 points and finished the job with a game-winning jumper in overtime, lifting the Celtics past the Nets, 125-124, and pushing Boston to 3-1 on the young season. It was the kind of performance that can carry a team through a tight night when nothing comes easy.
There was more to it than just the final shot, too. Tatum controlled the game with the kind of all-around command that keeps showing up for Boston, pairing scoring with playmaking while avoiding mistakes, and in the process reaching a rare Celtics milestone in the process. For a team already leaning on him, it was another night where the load felt heavy but manageable, even if the larger significance of the moment is still settling in. [Read more 🡒]