The Boston Celtics basically just stole a game from the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night (they were down for most of the game, Mikel Brown Jr. came alive late in the game and sent it to overtime on a tough three-point shot... and then pulled a De'Aaron Fox and took an unnecessary layup late in overtime that led to a game-winner by Jayson Tatum), but either way, a win is a win.
Boston is now 3-1 on the young season and has looked incredible since blowing the season opener to the Detroit Pistons. There is still a lot of basketball left, but Celtics fans should be happy about the team's current trajectory.
The Nets aren't playoff contenders or anything, but they have a lot of talent, and they clearly play hard. Boston earned this victory, and it will look to continue building on this momentum.
Here are three studs and two duds from the Celtics' overtime win against Brooklyn
Stud: Jayson Tatum
This one's easy.
Tatum scored a game-high 40 points on 10-for-20 shooting (including 2-for-7 from deep), and he made 18 of his 22 free throws (both career highs). He also recorded eight assists, five rebounds, a block, and ZERO turnovers in 42 minutes. (And, obviously, he hit the game-winning shot for the Celtics in overtime).
This performance marks another great one for Tatum. He did a fantastic job of being assertive, putting his head down, and getting to the basket, and it worked. It looks like the St. Louis native has found the right balance between aggressiveness and passivity as Boston's go-to guy (he's going to get his points, but he's going to make sure everybody else eats, too), which is an exciting development for the Celtics.
Overall, this was clean basketball from Tatum, and he is once again proving he can lead the way as the Celtics' alpha.
Dud: Payton Pritchard
Payton Pritchard had a fantastic performance against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night (28 points, 10-for-16 from the field, 7-for-10 from deep, four assists, two steals, and one rebound in 22 minutes off the bench).
He did not have a fantastic performance on Tuesday night, though.
Against Brooklyn, the 28-year-old scored just four points (2-for-7 from the field, 0-for-3 from beyond the arc), though he did record six assists (and three turnovers), two rebounds, and a block.
This obviously wasn't Pritchard's best performance, and he's going to bounce back, but the Celtics' bench scored just 27 points, and his inability to put the ball in the basket was a big reason for that.
Stud: Paul George
Paul George was very impressive against the Nets. He recorded 20 points on 8-for-16 shooting (he shot just 1-for-6 from beyond the arc) seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 36 minutes.
George was doing George things -- moving the ball around, creating his own shot, shooting off the catch, and playing hard on defense --, but the most interesting part of his game was how much he lived in the paint.
Whether he was driving or cutting to the paint, or was even just being fed there, the Fresno State alum was active near the basket. He went 6-for-9 on shots in the paint, and this was where he made his biggest impact.
Getting to the rim should be a point of emphasis for Boston this season without Jaylen Brown, and in a bit of a twist, it looks like George is likely going to have a big responsibility to generate those opportunities.
Dud: Celtics' first-half sloppiness and three-point inefficiency
This was Boston's situation in the first half: it scored 56 points (Brooklyn scored 61), it turned the ball over 10 times (mostly on sloppy/bad passes and miscommunications), and it shot 2-for-16 (12.5%) from deep.
Yikes.
The Celtics figured it out in the second half (40.9 3FG% and just four turnovers), but their performance in the first half definitely wasn't pretty.
Stud: Jordan Walsh
After the Celtics' first game of the season, I wrote about why they shouldn't start Jordan Walsh again. Spoiler alert: I said they should opt for more offensive firepower in the lineup (i.e., Pritchard, maybe even Baylor Scheierman or Sam Hauser) instead of defense.
To give credit where credit is due, Walsh looked incredible against the Nets, and he made his case to remain a part of Boston's lineup moving forward.
In the win, the 22-year-old recorded 15 points (5-for-8 from the field, 3-for-5 from deep), six rebounds, one assist, and a steal in 24 minutes. His defense (which was a big problem earlier this season) was also on full display, as he was active on every defensive possession.
Walsh had a fanatstic game, and he played a big part in Boston's victory. As it stands, it looks like he's going to stay in the Celtics' starting lineup, and if he keeps having performances like this, it might be tough for Joe Mazzulla to take him out.
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