All-Star forward Jayson Tatum, the Celtics nabbed 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
Smart faked a shot attempt, sending two Nets defenders flying, before penetrating the lane and finding a cutting Tatum
The chaotic finish set the stage for what many expect will be a hotly-contested first-round series between two of the NBA’s most offensively-gifted teams.
Tatum finished the game with 31 points while Brown recorded 23 points
Irving led all scorers with 39 points on 12-of-20 shooting, and Durant chipped in 23 points on 24 shots.
The Nets-Celtics matchup garnered a boatload of buzz from fans and pundits alike in the days leading up to Sunday’s game
Boston, the East’s No. 2 seed, will now take a 1–0 series lead over No. 7 seed Brooklyn into Game 2 on Wednesday night.