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Jayson Tatum said the Celtics ‘all thought’ Marcus Smart would shoot on the Game 1 final play
"He made a great pass and I just had to make a layup."
The Celtics won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round series against the Nets at the buzzer on Sunday, 115-114. Game 2 is set for Wednesday with Boston now ahead in the best-of-seven matchup, 1-0.
The Red Sox defeated the Twins on Sunday, 8-1. Boston faces Minnesota again at 11:10 a.m this morning.
Also today, the 126th Boston Marathon begins at 9:02 a.m. with the start of the men’s wheelchair division. In total, this year’s marathon has 28,604 entrants.
Jayson Tatum’s recap of the final play: In the closing seconds of Game 1 of the Celtics-Nets series, Boston turned what appeared to be a chaotic final play into a glorious moment.
But Tatum’s spinning layup at the buzzer was — perhaps not surprisingly — the last thing that Celtics players thought would happen.
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According to Tatum, he thought Marcus Smart would simply shoot a three-pointer.
“We all thought Smart was going to shoot it,” Tatum said afterward. “When he took that dribble, we made eye contact, he made a great pass and I just had to make a layup.”
Smart cited Celtics coach Ime Udoka for having faith in his players to make the right decision in clutch time.
“You’ve gotta credit Ime for trusting us in that situation,” Smart said.
Trivia: The second Boston Marathon (held in 1898) was the first to be won by an international runner. Which country was that runner from?
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(Answer at the bottom.)
Hint: Runners from this country have won the men’s and women’s divisions 17 teams in total, but none since 1980.
More from Boston.com:
- Live updates: The very latest on the 2022 Boston Marathon
- 7 takeaways as Jayson Tatum, Celtics fend off Kyrie Irving, Nets in wild Game 1
- Watch: Kyrie Irving gives Celtics fans the middle finger in Game 1
- Watch: Jayson Tatum drains layup at the buzzer to give Celtics Game 1 win
- 4 takeaways from the Red Sox’ 8-1 win over the Twins
- 2022 Boston Marathon means extra to Rich Hill after father’s recent death
- Celtics still planning to play without Robert Williams in series vs. Nets
- Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne gifts his parents a new house
- Perfect spring weather greets Boston Marathon’s April return
Jaylen Brown’s block on Kevin Durant: Brown had another impressive block in the game as well.
An emphatic tying goal: Trailing 2-0 in the second half on Sunday, Revolution II staged a dramatic comeback to defeat FC Cincinnati 2 by a 3-2 final score. The tying goal was scored on a long-range effort from midfielder Ryan Lima.
On this day: In 1966, Bill Russell was named as Red Auerbach’s replacement to become head coach of the Celtics. Though in the midst of the NBA Finals (Auerbach’s last as coach), Boston revealed that it planned to appoint Russell for the next season.
The announcement was momentous for many reasons. Auerbach, having coached the Celtics since 1950, was stepping down at the height of his power. The Celtics would go on to win the NBA title again in 1966 (defeating the Lakers in seven games), capping an unprecedented run of eight consecutive championships.
But the real story of Russell being named coach was the historical significance of the move. Russell became the first Black head coach in the history of major American professional sports. He would continue as a player-coach for three more seasons, winning two more NBA championships.
Daily highlight: Could it be anything other than Jayson Tatum’s Game 1 winner? Enjoy it from another angle:
Trivia answer: Canada
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