Highlights: The Mikel Brown Jr. sequence in Boston

Boston, MA - October 27: Brooklyn Nets guard Mikel Brown Jr. hits a 3-pointer to force overtime. The Boston Celtics played the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden on October 27, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images

Jaylen isn’t the only Brown who isn’t a fan of Jayson Tatum these days.

To paraphrase Frank Isola on the YES Network postgame show: Brooklyn Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. hit the biggest shot of the night, but he also made the biggest blunder. And Tatum made him pay.

The 125-124 overtime loss feels heavier because it drops the Nets to 0-4. Yet the big-picture implications of this performance are far more encouraging than the pain of another “moral victory.” At least that’s the hope.

Of course that doesn’t change Brooklyn’s reality — this was a game they could have stolen. Finding the first win won’t get any easier with a tough week ahead against the Pistons, Pacers, and Knicks. With all this, you’d think a 5-of-17 night in a loss would be a nightmare scenario for Brown Jr. and the Nets.

And why not? Because at least the signs were extremely encouraging. Mikel Brown Jr. finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes. He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, where knocked down 4-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from three, to go along with three assists and two rebounds. He was everywhere.

Most importantly, he showed signs of the clutch gene, a player who wanted the ball with the game on the line and hit the shots. Not just one, multiple. Just ask Chris Paul.

Mikal Brown Jr!! Big shot and could tell he wanted the ball for that shot.

— Chris Paul (@CP3) October 28, 2026

This is a big deal for an organization who hasn’t had a homegrown All-Star since Brook Lopez.

In the fourth quarter, Brown Jr. shot 3-of-4 from three with three assists and two rebounds. The Nets trailed by three with Boston at the line for two free throws. There was a 3% chance they won the game with 13 seconds left.

Tough downhill drive in traffic with the game on the line:

Mikel Brown Jr. scores a tough drive over three Celtics to tie the game in the final minute.

But he loses Derrick White on a backdoor cut on the other end for an and-one. Rookie growing pains.

Nets trail the Celtics 114-111 with 33.7 remaining. pic.twitter.com/1VqyZRTDXW

— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) October 28, 2026

Then, his defining moment — game-tying three with 0.2 left.

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This was his final bucket in overtime which put the Nets up 124-119 with 1:57 remaining.

The desire to step in and step up without second thought. The caption says it all:

Mikel Brown Jr is a baaaaad man pic.twitter.com/7z0RYo1Jel

— NBA Performances (@NBARewinds) October 28, 2026

It happened, though. For all the good he did — for all the ice in his veins leading up to the final seconds — he barely missed a finger roll. Up by one with under 10 seconds left, the 20-year-old made a puzzling decision to force a shot rather than letting Boston commit the deliberate foul.

The definition of a rookie mistake.

Mikel Brown Jr. missed a two easy and wide-open layup in the final seconds of the game.

CELTICS VS NETS#NBApic.twitter.com/B6KgaUNlJA

— C.T.G (@clipthegame) October 28, 2026

Why did he take the layup?

“I did see the open lane, and I thought I had a layup, but the ball was kind of already slipping out of my hands, and PG was already coming towards my right side. So I felt like if I didn’t go up with it, I kind of was gonna fall out of bounds,” Brown Jr. said after the game.

Mikel Brown Jr. on attempting the layup in the final seconds up one rather than pulling the ball out:

“I did see the open lane, and I thought I had a layup, but the ball was kind of already slipping out of my hands, and PG was already coming towards my right side. So I felt like… pic.twitter.com/napZrAEk8e

— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) October 28, 2026

Jayson Tatum made sure he iced this game — over Brown Jr. nonetheless.

The Nets weren’t supposed to switch on the pick. I Brown Jr. did.

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What happened?

“It’s a broken play. I blame me. We weren’t supposed to switch that & I switched it. Made a couple of mistakes down the stretch that hurt us. So I’m gonna take the blame on it. Learn from it, get prepared for next game,” Brown Jr. said about the defensive lapse.

Michael Porter Jr. was there by the rookie’s side.

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And… Brown Jr. took more accountability after the game.

THAT ONE IS ON ME BROOKLYN! IMMA SHAKE BACK I PROMISE YALL DAT💯

— Mikel Brown Jr (@MikelBrownJr1) October 28, 2026

In the aftermath, Brown’s father, Chris, and writer Kevin O’Connor got into a back-and-forth over re Brown’s up-and-down game…

Boy that's a rough loss for Brooklyn. So many chances to put Boston away in overtime. One bad decision after another by Mikel Brown, but hard to blame a rookie guard in his third game and not the third-year head coach Jordi Fernández for better preparing his team for a moment…

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) October 28, 2026

@kevinoconnor there was 1 questionable decision not one after another. You sound basis and like a hater. It’s about time people start calling writers like yourself. Jordi, the Nets organization and MIKEL BROWN JR WILL prove guys like you wrong. This post BOOKMARK.

— Coach Chris Brown (@A2Advanced) October 28, 2026

I know exactly why you saying this, you haven’t wrote anything about Kel or nets all season and couldn’t wait to kick in a moment like this… probably was over there hoping they loose.

— Coach Chris Brown (@A2Advanced) October 28, 2026

Chris Brown has a history of defending his son. At Louisville, he also defended Mikel, but this was his first posting in defense of Mikel on the NBA stage.

Interestingly, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic came to Mikel’s defense…

I have seen the end of Celtics-Nets from last night. I get that Mikel Brown Jr. missed those shots, but I want him taking those shots. The decision-making was fine on three of the four shots. The one step-back wasn't great, but IDK, sometimes the shots don't fall for rookies.

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) October 28, 2026

Welcome to the NBA, everyone.