NBA Recap | October 27, 2026
The Boston Celtics survived one of the wildest finishes of the young NBA season Tuesday night, defeating the Brooklyn Nets 125–124 in overtime.
Jayson Tatum finished with 40 points, five rebounds, and eight assists, while Paul George added 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 27 points and 12 rebounds, and Julius Randle contributed 24 points and nine rebounds.
This wasn’t a game Boston controlled from start to finish. Brooklyn led at halftime, Boston fought back in the third quarter, the Nets answered in the fourth, and both teams had opportunities to finish the game before overtime.
First Quarter: Brooklyn Comes Out Swinging
The Nets showed early that they weren’t intimidated by Boston.
Nolan Traore attacked the basket repeatedly, scoring on drives and floaters while keeping Brooklyn’s offense moving. Michael Porter Jr. knocked down an early three, and Julius Randle helped Brooklyn generate opportunities inside.
Boston had answers of its own. Jordan Walsh connected from three, Mitchell Robinson contributed around the basket, and Tatum worked his way into the offense with a combination of jumpers, layups, and free throws.
The teams traded baskets throughout much of the quarter, with neither side establishing much separation.
Brooklyn’s bench eventually made the difference.
Chaney Johnson connected on a three to tie the game at 24, and Moritz Wagner followed with a three-pointer and a putback layup. Johnson added another basket in the closing seconds as Brooklyn finished the quarter strongly.
The Nets led 31–26 after 12 minutes.
Second Quarter: Randle and Brooklyn Keep Boston Chasing
Boston opened the second quarter looking to erase its deficit.
Robinson threw down a dunk off a Payton Pritchard assist, while Derrick White scored on a cutting layup. But every time the Celtics threatened to take control, Brooklyn had a response.
Wagner knocked down another three and finished a dunk off a Randle assist. Randle then scored on consecutive possessions, pushing Brooklyn’s advantage to 38–30.
The physicality also increased. Robinson and Noah Clowney received technical fouls following an altercation early in the quarter.
Boston continued battling.
White knocked down a three, George scored on a fadeaway jumper, and Walsh contributed a layup and free throws to keep the Celtics within striking distance.
Brooklyn’s supporting cast remained productive, particularly Johnson, who scored on a putback and continued creating problems around the basket.
Late in the half, George finished a cutting dunk off a White assist, but Porter Jr. answered with a putback of his own.
Brooklyn entered halftime leading 61–56.
The teams had played an even second quarter, scoring 30 points apiece. Boston wasn’t playing poorly enough to fall out of the game, but the Celtics hadn’t found a way to consistently stop Brooklyn’s offense.
Third Quarter: Tatum Leads Boston’s Comeback
Boston finally began turning the game around after halftime.
George opened the third quarter with a three-pointer, but Porter Jr. immediately answered from deep. Randle followed with another basket as Brooklyn maintained its advantage.
Then the Celtics started finding their outside shooting.
Walsh connected on a three to cut the deficit to 68–64, and Tatum followed with another three to make it a one-possession game.
Walsh knocked down yet another three, bringing Boston within a point at 71–70.
Brooklyn responded through Traore and Randle, with Randle converting an and-one to extend the Nets’ lead to 77–70.
But Boston’s bench helped change the direction of the quarter.
Sam Hauser connected from three, Baylor Scheierman followed with another three-pointer, and Tatum later hit a three to put Boston ahead 81–79.
Tatum added two free throws before Hauser buried another three in the closing seconds.
The Celtics outscored Brooklyn 30–21 in the quarter, turning a five-point halftime deficit into an 86–82 advantage entering the fourth.
Boston finally had momentum. Unfortunately for the Celtics, Brooklyn had another response waiting.
Fourth Quarter: Brooklyn Fights Back, Then Forces Overtime
Boston initially looked ready to build on its third-quarter performance.
George scored twice around a White jumper, extending the Celtics’ advantage to 92–82 early in the fourth.
That ten-point lead didn’t last.
Porter Jr. knocked down a three, Johnson added another, and Porter Jr. connected again as Brooklyn began eating into the deficit.
Hauser briefly interrupted the comeback with a three, but Porter Jr. continued delivering from outside. His three with 7:40 remaining cut Boston’s lead to 97–93.
Another Porter Jr. three made it 97–96.
Mikel Brown Jr. then knocked down a three to give Brooklyn a 99–97 lead with 6:42 remaining.
In a matter of minutes, Boston’s ten-point advantage had disappeared.
The final six minutes became a back-and-forth contest.
Tatum tied the game at 99 with two free throws. Brown Jr. answered with another three, and Randle contributed important baskets as Brooklyn tried to maintain control.
George completed an and-one to bring Boston within two, and Tatum attacked the basket to tie the game at 109 with just over two minutes remaining.
White then stepped forward.
After making two free throws to put Boston ahead, White finished a cutting dunk off a Tatum assist and converted the additional free throw. He later made another pair from the line to give Boston a 116–111 lead with 13 seconds remaining.
Five points. Thirteen seconds.
Boston appeared to have survived.
But Brooklyn wasn’t finished.
Brown Jr. made two free throws, and Tatum split a pair at the other end. Randle then made one of two free throws, leaving Brooklyn trailing 117–114.
The Celtics had an opportunity to put the game away when Robinson stepped to the free-throw line with three seconds remaining.
He missed both.
Wagner grabbed the rebound, and Brooklyn called timeout.
With one second remaining, Brown Jr. received the ball from Keon Ellis and buried a three-pointer to tie the game at 117.
Unbelievable.
Boston had been seconds away from victory, only to watch Brooklyn force overtime on a last-second three.
Overtime: Boston Escapes Another Collapse
The drama wasn’t finished.
Brooklyn carried its late-game confidence into overtime and eventually established a 124–119 advantage with 1:28 remaining.
After forcing overtime in such spectacular fashion, the Nets appeared to be on the verge of stealing the victory.
But Boston had one final comeback.
The Celtics scored six unanswered points in the closing 88 seconds, turning a five-point deficit into a 125–124 lead. Capped off by Jayson Tatum Buzzer Beater for the win!
Brooklyn had gone from rescuing the game at the end of regulation to letting a late overtime advantage slip away.
Boston survived by a single point.
Tatum Delivers, but Boston Has Work to Do
Tatum’s 40 points were the difference for Boston. He shot 10-of-20 from the field and 18-of-22 at the free-throw line, repeatedly attacking Brooklyn’s defense and getting to the basket.
George provided another strong all-around performance, while White contributed 16 points and six assists. Walsh added 15 points, including three three-pointers.
Boston finished with 31 assists and 52 points in the paint, but its perimeter shooting remained a concern.
The Celtics made just 11 of their 41 three-point attempts, a 26.8% shooting performance.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, hit 17 threes on 50 attempts.
Porter Jr. was especially effective, shooting 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. Randle provided additional scoring and rebounding, while Brown Jr.’s 17 points off the bench included the shot that forced overtime.
The Nets also received 15 points apiece from Traore, Johnson, and Wagner.
Brooklyn’s depth gave Boston problems throughout the night, and the Nets deserve credit for competing until the final possession.
Final Thoughts
This game offered plenty of entertainment, but also plenty for both teams to examine.
Boston deserves credit for fighting back from a halftime deficit, taking control in the third quarter, and recovering from a five-point overtime deficit.
However, the Celtics nearly threw away the victory with missed free throws and an inability to finish the game in regulation.
Brooklyn showed real offensive promise. Porter Jr. was excellent from deep, Randle made important contributions, and Brown Jr. delivered the biggest shot of the night.
Yet the Nets couldn’t close out overtime despite holding a five-point lead with less than 90 seconds remaining.
For Boston, it’s a victory that required far more effort than expected.
For Brooklyn, it’s another loss, but one that demonstrated the team’s ability to compete with a strong opponent.
The Celtics improve to 3–1, while the Nets fall to 0–4.
Final Score: Boston Celtics 125, Brooklyn Nets 124 (OT)
No bias, just sports.
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