Game 1 of the First Round matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets was everything we hoped for and then some. The exciting back-and-forth contest fittingly ended with Jayson Tatum’s buzzer-beater that gave the Celtics a narrow 115-114 win.
The first half was an even contest that saw both teams having stretches of dominance but neither managing to get the upper hand. However, this changed in the third quarter when the Celtics took over the game and outscored the Nets 35-24.
Still, Brooklyn had no intentions of giving up. They stormed back in the fourth period thanks to the heroics of Kyrie Irving and even had a 5-point lead with less than five minutes left in the game.
Still, the Nets didn’t manage to capitalize on their comeback. Boston, down by one, got one last shot with the time running down and got the most of it. Marcus Smart faked a three, entered the paint, and dished the ball to Tatum, who made a nifty spin and laid the ball into the basket just in time to beat the buzzer.
Tatum finished the contest with 31 points while adding eight assists and four rebounds. Smart added 20 points, six assists, and seven boards, while Jaylen Brown also contributed with 23.
Irving was the key player for the Nets, having 39 points, six assists, four rebounds, and four steals. His fellow All-Star Kevin Durant had 23 points, while no other Brooklyn player got more than 14.
The Nets and the Celtics meet again on Wednesday at the TD Garden for Game 2.
