The Boston Celtics in all probability should not have wanted heroics from Jayson Tatum to beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night time, however they will take the win anyway.
With lower than a second left in a tie sport, Tatum hit a contested, game-winning fadeaway bounce shot to provide the Celtics a dramatic 118-116 win on the street. Tatum completed the sport with 27 factors on 10-of-21 capturing with 10 assists and 6 rebounds.
If this story sounds acquainted, it is as a result of no participant has extra go-ahead pictures within the remaining 5 seconds of a sport since 2020 than Tatum.
Among the many folks impressed: Pelicans wing Herb Jones.
The Celtics have been main for almost your entire second half, however not by sufficient to stop the house staff from tying the sport with lower than two minutes left. Jaylen Brown put them again forward with 34 seconds left, however C.J. McCollum tied it once more with a floater, setting the stage for Tatum.
The sport-winner negated an enormous night time for Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, who posted 40 factors, one wanting a profession excessive, on 15-of-20 capturing (8-of-12 from deep) with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. He almost led the Pelicans to a miracle win after they entered the sport nonetheless with out the injured Jones and Brandon Ingram, with Zion Williamson out with an sickness, after which reportedly dropping Dejounte Murray to a ruptured Achilles tendon, which implies he’ll miss the remainder of this season and sure a superb chunk of the following one.
The win was quietly essential for the Celtics, who’re solely 7-6 over their final 13 video games and are battling to remain forward of the New York Knicks for second place within the Jap Convention. They will face one other shorthanded staff within the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
