BOSTON — Jayson Tatum admitted there was some frustration after what he called a “horrible miss” at the end of regulation. The score was tied between the Celtics and Raptors as Tatum had a chance at an open mid-range jumper that would’ve been the game-winner.
But no matter. Life finds a way. The Celtics and Tatum found themselves in the same spot at the end of overtime. This time, Tatum nailed a deep 3-pointer as the buzzer rang, sending the TD Garden crowd into a frenzy. So no harm after that first miss as the Celtics beat the Raptors in an overtime thriller 126-123 on Saturday. And make no mistake: Confidence wasn’t the issue for Tatum as he pulled up for the game-winner.
“I got a lot of problems in life — confidence has never been one of them,” Tatum said. “I’ve worked too hard at my craft and played too much basketball to ever doubt the next shot, whether it’s an in-and-out miss or whether I miss the entire rim. I know what I’m capable of and you always believe that the next one is going in.”
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Tatum started the night strong, going 4-for-7 in the first quarter for 13 points. The C’s were in a dogfight against a Raptors squad looking to find a spark, and Tatum was a big part of that initial surge. But the shots dried up from there as Tatum shot 1-for-9 in the final three quarters, including that miss at the end of regulation. Tatum finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in another close miss at a triple-double.
But the Celtics had enough juice to keep it going in a back-and-forth game Saturday. There were 27 lead changes as the teams flip-flopped between the lead throughout the overtime period. So while the Raptors rolled in with one of the worst records in the league, as has been common for the C’s for years, they got Toronto’s best shot.
The game-winning play itself was also slightly broken. Initially, Tatum got the ball from Derrick White. Then Jaylen Brown ran from the corner to get the ball from Tatum, but Brown was knocked off his feet after some heavy contact from Davion Mitchell. Brown spilled to the floor as Tatum thought a foul was going to be called. But once there was no whistle, Tatum decided he was going to take the last shot — and he delivered.
So the Celtics will learn from Saturday’s win. There’s a lot of value for great teams in not only winning ugly, but doing so on an off-night. And Tatum was a big part of that as the Celtics are now 11-3 on the season. They now have a huge test coming up Tuesday against the Cavaliers, who are still undefeated at 14-0 and atop the East.
“Every kid growing up, in their driveway or in a gym or at a park counted down out loud and envisioned themselves in a moment like this,” Tatum said. “For me, I’ve always wanted to be a part of those moments and never worry about if you miss or things like that. I’ve never been scared of the outcome, good or bad. My favorite players I grew up watching had moments like this where they made them and they missed them. But they were always willing to, regardless of how the game was going, be in that moment and be brave, I guess, in those moments.”
