Nets lose OT crusher to Celtics as rookie’s mistake opens door for Jayson Tatum buzzer-beater

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BOSTON — What should’ve been a dream night for Mikel Brown Jr. ended up a nightmare. And the rookie went from hero to goat in a couple of plays. 

After Brown’s huge last-second fourth-quarter shot forced overtime, his inexperienced mistakes on each end of the court cost the Nets in a 125-124 loss to Boston before a sellout crowd of 19,156 at TD Garden on Tuesday night. 

Brown’s 13-point fourth quarter and game-tying 3-pointer had forced overtime. But his ill-advised failed layup attempt with 2.3 seconds left in the extra stanza gave the Celtics one last chance, and his gaffe in getting screened off and switching — after the Nets had been told not to — let Jayson Tatum cash in on that chance. 

Mikel Brown Jr. (0) of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics during a game at TD Garden in Boston, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images

Tatum’s 17-footer beat the buzzer. And the Nets. 

“It’s just a broken play. I blame me,” said Brown. “We weren’t supposed to switch that, and 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 and don’t make the same mistake again. But I’m definitely not gonna forget.” 

The Nets were clinging to a 124-123 edge when Brown missed a driving layup, and center Day’Ron Sharpe was initially whistled for a loose-ball foul with 6.1 seconds left in OT. But after coach Jordi Fernández called a timeout to challenge, the call was reversed to a foul on Luka Garza. 

Brown missed another layup attempt, this one ill-advised. He should’ve pulled the ball back out, and admitted as much. 

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates his game-winning shot at the end of overtime to defeat the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boston rebounded with 2.3 seconds remaining. The Nets shouldn’t have switched on the last play, but did when Brown got screened. The mistake cost them, missing Noah Clowney’s size on Tatum for what proved the winner. 

“I did see the open lane, and thought I had a layup. But the ball was already slipping out of my hands and [Paul George] was already coming towards my right side, so I felt like if I didn’t go up with it I was gonna fall out of bounds. That was my last resort,” said Brown. “But I can’t make an excuse. There’s a lot of plays down the stretch I messed up on that I take full accountability of, and I’m gonna be better.” 

Jayson Tatum hits the game-winning, buzzer-beating jumper in overtime of the Nets’ 125-124 loss to the Celtics on Oct. 27, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston. Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The Nets had come back to force overtime. Brown had 13 points in the fourth quarter, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left to force OT. 

Julius Randle — who’d scored a dozen in that fourth-quarter comeback — hit the first two buckets of the extra stanza to give the Nets a 121-117 lead. But he fouled out with 24 points, while Michael Porter Jr. added 27. 

Neither could match Tatum, who poured in a game-high 40 points, eight assists, five rebounds and career-high 18-of-22 from the free-throw line. 

Mikel Brown Jr. hits a game-tying 3-pointer just before the end of regulation, but it wasn’t enough as the Nets fell to the Celtics in overtime. NBAE via Getty ImagesMichael Porter Jr., who scored a team-high 27 points, goes up for a layup during the Nets’ overtime loss to the Celtics. NBAE via Getty Images

It overshadowed what should’ve been a huge breakthrough for Brown. 

“We were not supposed to switch, but he got cleaned,” said Clowney. “We’ve got to help him learn how to navigate that screen late in the game. Knowing that they’re looking for Tatum, maybe track right behind the footsteps. But that’s on us as the older guys here. We should’ve let him know that before we even left the timeout huddle. We’re staying with our own. You can’t be playing in between your guy and the rim or you’re gonna get screened. 

“He’s aware. He’s young, but he’s very capable. He’s been beating himself up about it. We’ve got another game Friday, man. He did a lot of good in this game. He got us in the game, got us into the position we were in.”