BOSTON • Jayson Tatum could not believe what he achieved on Friday night, as he led the Boston Celtics to a 143-140 National Basketball Association (NBA) overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs.
He scored a career-high 60 points as the Celtics stormed back from a 32-point first-half deficit for the win at the Boston Garden.
His total points equalled Boston icon Larry Bird for the most points in a game in Celtic's history. The 23-year-old is also the second-youngest NBA player behind Devin Booker to post a 60-point game.
The Phoenix Suns' Booker became the youngest player, at 20, to score 60 points or more in a game when he dropped 70 on the Celtics in March 2017.
"It's a surreal feeling," Tatum said of owning the franchise record with Bird. "Maybe tomorrow I will realise how special it is."
The forward's previous career best was 53 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 9.
On Friday, he made four vital free throws in the final 12 seconds of overtime for the Celtics, who roared back from a 29-point halftime deficit to level the score halfway through the fourth quarter.
In regulation play, he hit a three-pointer with 38sec left in the fourth period to give the Celtics their first lead at 127-126 since early in the first quarter.
He drained another free throw with 18sec to play to give the Celtics a two-point lead, but Spurs' DeMar DeRozan tied the game with 10 seconds left to set the stage for a thrilling overtime.
The extra period went back and forth, with the Spurs taking the lead at 137-136 with 31.7sec left.
Jaylen Brown canned a three-pointer to put Boston on top with 16.7sec to play and Marcus Smart stole San Antonio's ensuing pass, setting the stage for Tatum's free throws that capped the win.
"That was a tough one," Tatum said. "This game is what being a Celtic is all about. Never quit, never giving up. To be down 30 and come back in overtime and win, there is nothing like it.
-
3rd
Biggest NBA comeback as the Celtics erased their 32-point deficit. The record is 36 points by the Utah Jazz over the Denver Nuggets in 1996. In 2009, the Sacramento Kings beat the Chicago Bulls after trailing by 35.
"That just kind of shows the growth of our team - to see everybody contributing when we're down 30 points and just figuring out a way to win the game."
Brown added 17 points for the Celtics (34-30) and Aaron Nesmith had 16 points.
"He did exactly what a great player is supposed to do," Brown said of Tatum.
"He was efficient, led us, hit timely shots - big baskets - real big-boy basketball.
"That's what we need. We're going to need that going forward."
DeRozan scored 30 points and had 14 assists, tied for his career high, for the Spurs (31-31).
Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker IV added 24 points apiece, Rudy Gay had 16 and Jakob Poeltl racked up 15 points and 10 rebounds.
"We left the door open - too many opportunities," DeRozan said.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
