Jayson Tatum and the Celtics beat the Nets at the buzzer in one of the best playoff games in history
Tatum's buzzer-beating layup.
© David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
WHAT A GAME! This is what the NBA playoffs are all about. The Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets just engaged in the opening game of their first-round series, and the hype delivered. It seems this duel will be one for the ages.
Not your typical #2 vs. #7 matchup
We all expected this to be the most exciting series of the first round, considering the championship aspirations of both sides, but we couldn't have asked for a better opening game.
These two teams have history, and the energy in the building was electric. Especially with Kyrie back in town, getting all kinds of boos and insults through the night. But that didn't seem to affect him on his way to 39 points. Along the way, Kyrie was mocking the crowd, cursing and flipping them out, all while openly mocking with his gestures, only raising the temperature in the TD Garden.
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As the Nets came back from down 15 in the 3rd quarter, it seemed Boston would blow it and lose homecourt advantage from the start. But the team effort, especially on the defensive side of the floor, helped them steer the tide and stay in the game.
In the end, a clutch defensive possession that forced a tough attempt for KD led to a transition opportunity in which Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and eventually Jayson Tatum combined for the perfect play that resulted in Tatum laying it up at the buzzer for the 114-115 win.
The whole area went ecstatic, as players themselves even couldn't hold their emotions, storming the court. Tatum, himself was speechless after the game, even though it's only Game 1 of the playoffs. But this just shows how much this win means to them, as they are very well aware of the Nets' firepower.
Aise from the buzzer-beater, Tatum had a monster game (31p,8a,4r), with the help of Brown(23p), Smart (20p,7r,6a), and Horford(20p,15r), proving once again the Celtics are an all-around great team. On the other end, the before mentioned Kyrie almost had the perfect revenge game(39p,5r,6a), but his co-star Kevin Durant played under his capabilities(23p,9-24FG).
The Celtics now have even more confidence, but rest sure the Nets will not crumble after this heartbreaking loss, We are in for a long and amazing series that could very well go down in history. Strap in and enjoy!
