On the finish of regulation on Saturday night time, Jayson Tatum bricked a possible game-winner so badly that he did not even hit the rim. When he obtained one other probability to offer the Boston Celtics a hard-fought win over the Toronto Raptors within the remaining seconds of additional time, he made certain it did not go to waste. 

As time wound down within the additional body, the Celtics held the ball for the ultimate shot and arrange a play that had Jaylen Brown operating off staggered screens. That plan collapsed when Brown was chucked to the ground by Raptors guard Davion Mitchell, and Tatum needed to go one-on-one. He sized up Ochai Agbaji, took a couple of dribbles to create house and let it fly from 30 ft.

Money. Celtics win, 126-123. 

“Each child, rising up of their driveway or at a fitness center or a park counted down out loud and envisioned themselves in moments like this,” Tatum mentioned. “I’ve at all times needed to be part of these moments.”

It was the polar reverse of his try on the finish of regulation, which went broad left by about two ft.

“Man I missed so many photographs within the second half, I used to be sure to hit one,” mentioned Tatum, who missed all 5 of his second-half makes an attempt. Later, he expounded on his psychological fortitude: “I’ve obtained lots of issues in life, confidence has by no means been certainly one of them. I work too exhausting at my craft. I’ve performed an excessive amount of basketball to ever doubt.”

The Raptors entered on a six-game dropping streak, and had been with out plenty of key gamers, however they didn’t appear to be the huge underdogs they started the sport as. RJ Barrett registered his first profession triple-double (25 factors, 10 rebounds, 15 assists), Jakob Poeltl went off for a career-high 35 factors they usually hung proper with the Celtics all night time lengthy in a recreation that featured 12 ties and 27 lead adjustments. 

In the end, although, the Celtics confirmed why they’re the defending champions. On an evening the place they had been with out each Jrue Vacation and Kristaps Porzingis — and did not shoot the ball nicely — they nonetheless discovered a approach to win. 

Tatum completed with 24 factors, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, falling one stat shy of a triple-double for the second consecutive recreation. 

“That was an enormous time shot,” Brown mentioned. “We would have liked it unhealthy. The very last thing we needed to do is go into double additional time in opposition to the Toronto Raptors.”