Nets Fall to Celtics in OT After Late-Game Heartbreaker

The Brooklyn Nets were one possession away from earning their first win of the season Tuesday night, but a costly mistake from rookie Mikel Brown Jr. in the final seconds of overtime allowed the Boston Celtics to escape with a 125-124 victory at TD Garden.

Brooklyn erased an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter, got a game-tying three-pointer from Brown with 0.3 seconds remaining in regulation, and even built a five-point lead in overtime. However, the Nets couldn't hold on to their advantage, dropping to 0-4 on the season.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 40 points, eight assists and five rebounds, while Brown finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. The rookie scored 16 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, nearly completing an incredible comeback before his final possession proved costly.

Brooklyn made a change to its starting lineup, inserting Nolan Traoré in place of Keon Ellis. Traoré gave the Nets a quicker pace and a true point guard to run the offense from the opening tip.

Traoré scored nine points in the first quarter, his most in any opening period of his career, on 4-of-4 shooting. He finished the night with 15 points and two steals, providing an early spark for a Brooklyn team searching for its first victory.

The Nets scored 31 points in the opening quarter, their highest total in the first period this season. Mo Wagner provided a boost off the bench with 11 first-half points, while Chaney Johnson added 12 as Brooklyn built a 61-56 halftime lead.

Brooklyn also benefited from Boston's cold shooting. The Celtics made just two of their first 16 three-point attempts, allowing the Nets to maintain their advantage through the first half.

Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle each had 11 points at the break, while Tatum led Boston with 16.

The Nets' halftime advantage didn't last long.

Egor Dëmin exited the game with a right leg contusion and did not return, forcing Ellis back into the starting lineup for the second half. Boston started finding its rhythm from beyond the arc, gradually chipping away at Brooklyn's lead.

After shooting 2-of-16 from three-point range in the first half, the Celtics caught fire in the third quarter. Jordan Walsh, Tatum and Sam Hauser all connected from deep as Boston took control of the game.

The Celtics closed the period on a 16-5 run, turning a seven-point deficit into an 86-82 advantage entering the fourth. Boston scored 30 points in the quarter, while the Nets managed just 21.

Randle, who started 0-of-6 from the field, began finding his rhythm as the game progressed. He finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals, giving Brooklyn another scoring option alongside Porter.

Porter led the Nets with 27 points and 12 rebounds, continuing his strong start to the season.

Boston extended its lead to eight early in the fourth quarter, putting Brooklyn in danger of falling to 0-4. The Nets responded by catching fire from three-point range, turning what looked like another loss into a back-and-forth finish.

Porter knocked down consecutive three-pointers before Brown buried a deep shot to put Brooklyn ahead 99-97. Brown connected from beyond the arc again later in the quarter as the Nets traded baskets with Boston.

Porter hit another three to give Brooklyn a 107-104 lead, and Johnson's layup pushed the advantage to five. Boston answered behind Tatum and Derrick White, setting up a frantic final minute.

White put the Celtics ahead 111-109 with two free throws before Brown drove to the basket and finished a difficult left-handed layup to tie the game. White then converted a three-point play and added two more free throws, giving Boston a five-point cushion with time running out.

Brown kept Brooklyn in the game, converting two free throws before knocking down another three-pointer with just 0.3 seconds remaining. The shot tied the game at 117 and sent it to overtime, capping an incredible late-game performance from the rookie.

Brooklyn carried that momentum into overtime, with Randle scoring consecutive baskets to put the Nets ahead 121-117. Brown followed with another three-pointer, extending the lead to 124-119.

Boston wasn't finished, though. Tatum scored inside before converting two free throws after Randle fouled out. Paul George followed with two more free throws to cut the deficit to one.

With 6.1 seconds remaining, Brooklyn had possession and a chance to protect its lead. The Nets inbounded the ball to Brown, who attempted a shot instead of holding possession and forcing Boston to foul. The attempt missed, giving the Celtics one final opportunity.

Tatum made Brooklyn pay, hitting a jumper at the buzzer to hand Boston the 125-124 win.

It was a disappointing finish for Brown after the rookie nearly carried the Nets to their first victory. He had scored just one point through the first three quarters before erupting for 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. His late-game shooting gave Brooklyn a chance to win, but the final possession will be the moment he remembers most from an otherwise impressive performance.

The Nets also struggled with foul trouble throughout the night. Randle and Johnson both fouled out, while Brooklyn committed 30 fouls. Tatum attempted a career-high 22 free throws, finishing with 40 points to lead Boston's comeback.

Johnson finished with 15 points, more than he had scored across Brooklyn's first three games combined. Wagner also recorded 15 points and two steals, giving the Nets productive performances off the bench.

The loss drops Brooklyn to 0-4, but the Nets had opportunities to win this one after struggling in their previous outing against Indiana. They recovered from a difficult third quarter, rallied late and held a five-point lead in overtime. They just couldn't finish the job.

Brooklyn will look to regroup Friday night when it hosts the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 p.m. ET in its first Emirates NBA Cup game of the season. The Nets are in East Group A and will try to turn their late-game improvement into a much-needed win.