The Celtics beat the Nets 125-124 a night after routing Chicago, moving to 2-1 and fourth in the East. Jayson Tatum was efficient throughout, and Derrick White, listed with a right hip issue and then cleared on game day, made the closing plays despite a poor shooting line.
A winless opponent took this to the final possessions.
Brooklyn arrived 0-3 and lost by a point after eight lead changes and 14 ties. Neither side ever got more than eight points clear. The Nets closed the first quarter on a 10-0 run to lead 31-26, and Boston answered with an 8-0 burst in the second. The Celtics won the third 30-21 and led 86-82 going into the fourth. Then Brooklyn's 9-0 run turned a 97-90 deficit into a 99-97 lead, and the rest was possession by possession.
Derrick White's worst shooting was offset by his best minute.
With the game tied at 1:40, White drew Julius Randle's fourth foul and made both free throws. Michael Porter Jr. missed a three. White missed one of his own, Chaney Johnson grabbed the offensive rebound, and Mikel Brown Jr.'s driving layup tied it with 44 seconds left. On the next trip White cut, Tatum found him for a dunk, Noah Clowney fouled him, and the free throw put Boston up three, forcing a Brooklyn timeout. White shot 5-of-15, went 1-of-7 from deep and finished -6. The closing minute does not fix that line, and the line does not cancel the closing minute.
Tatum carried the game, and the grades below him are mixed.
Tatum, A: 33 points on 8-of-15, 15-of-18 at the line, eight assists, no turnovers and +5 in 37 minutes. Jordan Walsh, B-plus: 15 points on 5-of-8, including 3-of-5 from deep, in 22 minutes. Paul George, C-plus: 18 points, seven assists and nine in the fourth, but 1-of-5 from three, three turnovers and -4. On the other side, Porter Jr. scored 27 with 12 in the fourth, while Randle went 0-for-7 from three, which is a good part of why this ended as a win.
The plus-minus favored the reserves, in samples too short to settle anything.
Luka Garza was +15 in 10 minutes, Baylor Scheierman +10 in 16 and Sam Hauser +7 in 24, with 11 points on 3-of-8 from deep. Mitchell Robinson shot 3-of-4 and still finished -10 in 23 minutes, the worst on the roster. In a one-point game, ten-minute stints are a clue, not evidence. Boston is 2-1 with two straight wins, 1.5 games clear of 11th, and on pace for 55-27, which after three games is arithmetic rather than a forecast. Three days off come before the Bulls visit on October 30 in the Emirates NBA Cup, followed by road games at Orlando and Houston.
Who won Celtics vs Nets on October 27, 2026?
The Celtics won 125-124. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 33 points, and Derrick White's and-one with 33 seconds left put them ahead for good.
What is the Celtics' record after beating the Nets?
Boston is 2-1, fourth in the East, with a two-game winning streak. The next game is at home against the Bulls on October 30.
