The Celtics could go to bed on Tuesday feeling triumphant after outlasting the Lakers with a comeback 122-118 overtime win to finish their most challenging road trip yet with a 4-2 record. The League-leading Celtics were looking weary after two-straight L’s to the Warriors and Bucks, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown dug deep to make sure Boston’s hold on the top record in the NBA wouldn’t shrink.
Deuce’s dad was dominant on national TV after dropping 44 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on 15-29 shooting, including 5-10 from downtown. Tatum scored 18 points in the second half, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Brown posted 25 points, 15 boards, five dimes, and three steals on 10-21 shooting and 3-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
“Games aren’t won or lost in the fourth quarter or overtime,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said per ESPN. “We have to be elite at managing the end of the third, beginning of the fourth quarter. That is where NBA games are won and lost, and we didn’t do a good job managing that part of the game. So we’ll take the positives of how we worked to get back in the game and then managed a run to end it, but we’ll also focus on that stretch.”
🔥 44 PTS | 9 REB | 6 AST | 5 3PM 🔥
— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2022
Jayson Tatum was NEXT LEVEL as he battled LeBron and AD in the @celtics OT win! pic.twitter.com/0MchIYGSds
The monumental effort that the Double Jay’s had to exert left Tatum to tell Chris Haynes, “Damn, I’m tired,” on national TV during their postgame interview.
Easy to understand on a night when Boston surrounded a 20 point and allowed LA to go on a 45-12 run that led to a 13-point lead in the fourth-quarter. In response, Tatum made the Lakers defense look like it was in quick sand in the final frame, especially when he forced a switch agaisnt Matt Reaves. JT abused the mismatch and scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, but he ended up scoring the game-tying bucket against LeBron James to force overtime.
“To come back after blowing a lead a little bit, it shows the resilience of this team,” Brown told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin. “We came back, we made some big plays, we didn’t let the wheel go when they came back and stormed back on us, and we made some big plays down the stretch. JT, Smart with a big 3, all of the above. So it just showed what we’re made of.”
And that’s why you never give up. pic.twitter.com/WT5trTuJTa
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 14, 2022
From there, Tatum and Brown combined to score seven of Boston’s 12 overtime points, with Brown knocking down the decisive triple to give Boston a an eight-point lead with 53.1 seconds left in the contest.
“That game just says a lot about our experience and mental toughness,” said Brown, who also had 15 rebounds. “That’s a tough and perfect way to close out our road trip.”
THIS IS WHAT JB DO 🗣 pic.twitter.com/yTT6JJPCQO
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 14, 2022
Boston (22-7) looks to build a winnings streak when they take on the Orlando Magic (8-20) and LA (11-16) will look get backon track when they play the Denver Nuggets (16-10).
