Tatum lifts Celtics past Pistons for split of weekend games
DETROIT — Jayson Tatum hit a fallaway as Blake Griffin stumbled with 2.9 seconds left, then tied up the Detroit veteran on the other end to help the Boston Celtics beat the Pistons 122-120 on Sunday for a weekend split.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 31 points. He hit a late 3-pointer and was 13 of 16 from the field, two nights after his late miss sealed a loss in the opener in Detroit.
“We haven’t been good, especially down the stretch, executing-wise,” said Marcus Smart, who added 17 points and eight assists. “We got to our spots, we got the ball where we wanted it, and those two players made great shots and great reads. They won us the game.”
Tatum had 24 points and 12 assists for Boston. The Celtics shot a season-best 57%.
“It seems like they made every shot, especially Brown,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “I want to see how many teams do a good job on Jaylen Brown and Tatum. They’re probably two of the most dynamic players I’ve seen in a while.”
Jerami Grant scored 22 points for the Pistons, his career-best fifth straight game with at least 20. Svi Mykhailiuk had 15 points despite not entering the game until under four minutes left in the third quarter.
Semi Ojeleye hit three 3-pointers in less than five minutes to open the fourth quarter for Boston. Sekou Doumbouya and Mykhailiuk responded with back-to-back 3s to give Detroit a 108-106 lead with 6:01 left.
Mykhailiuk scored eight straight Detroit points, and the Pistons took a 118-117 lead on Mason Plumlee’s free throws with 42.2 seconds left. That set up Brown’s 3-pointer with 34.0 seconds to go, and Grant made two free throws 12 seconds later to tie it at 120.
On Friday night, Detroit beat Boston 96-93 for its only victory of the season, with the Celtics missing their final 10 shots and going scoreless for the final 4:15.
WIZARDS 123, NETS 122:
Bradley Beal had 27 points, 10 rebounds and the assist on Thomas Bryant’s go-ahead dunk with 14.9 seconds left, leading Washington over Brooklyn.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant missed jumpers on the last possession, dropping the Nets to 3-4.
Russell Westbrook had 24 points and 10 assists but only five rebounds after recording triple-doubles in his first four games with the Wizards. Bryant finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds as Washington won its second straight after an 0-5 start.
Irving had 30 points and 10 assists for the Nets, while Durant had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
The lead changed hands frequently down the stretch before Beal missed a jumper with the Wizards down by one. Bryant grabbed the rebound and the ball got back to Beal, who drove into the lane and dished it to his big man.
Irving then missed a 3-pointer but the Nets grabbed the rebound and got it to Durant, whose jumper with 1.5 seconds left was off.
The Nets, who pulled out a 145-141 shootout against the Hawks on Wednesday, were on pace for another one at halftime. Down 12 early in the second quarter after being outscored 11-0 to start the period, they finished with a flurry to lead 71-70. Irving and Beal both scored 20 points.