Bobby Manning recaps a night where Jayson Tatum had to do nearly all of the Celtics’ first quarter scoring, watched Boston go behind by 32 points, then piled on shots from inside and out, hit 15 free throws, drilled clutch shots to out-duel Demar DeRozan in crunch time before adding 10 more points on top of his 50 in regulation in overtime.
His free throws sealed a comeback win that ranks third in NBA history, while only Larry Bird has scored 60 points in a Celtics game alongside Tatum, who joins Bird after he sat alone for 36 years. Those at TD Garden saw one of the best individual performances in Celtics history, with some help from the likes of Aaron Nesmith and clutch baskets from Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Now, the Celtics are tied with the Hawks for the fifth seed with eight games remaining.
