Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from Tuesday's Celtics-Lakers Game

Jayson Tatum's clutch turnaround jumper over LeBron James to force overtime and Jaylen Brown's delivering the dagger headline the breakdown of the top five plays from Tuesday's Celtics-Lakers game.

Bobby Krivitsky

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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Jayson Tatum's clutch turnaround jumper over LeBron James to force overtime and Jaylen Brown's delivering the dagger headline the breakdown of the top five plays from Tuesday's Celtics-Lakers game.

Jayson Tatum's Dart to a Cutting Jaylen Brown

From the opening tip, the Celtics played with far more energy against the Lakers than in Monday's loss to the Clippers.

Boston's second possession of the game highlighted that. Rather than remaining stationary, something the Celtics often did on Monday, Jaylen Brown cuts across Patrick Beverley's face.

Beverley provides no resistance, and Jayson Tatum throws a dart to Brown for an uncontested layup as Boston's five-out offense leaves the Lakers without a defender protecting the rim.

Jaylen Brown Bests Austin Reaves

Brown sets a hard screen on Austin Reaves, and the Celtics force a switch. Reaves does well to stay tight to Brown, then quickly recovering and challenging the righty's shot with his left hand, the proper technique, but in this instance, good offense beats sound defense.

Jayson Tatum Comes Through in the Clutch

In another example of Boston besting good defense, with the Lakers trying to protect a two-point lead, LeBron James initially runs Jayson Tatum off the three-point line. He then stays with Tatum on the drive.

As a result, the Celtics' star extends his right leg, throttling down while James' momentum takes him toward the hoop. That allows Tatum to create the separation necessary to get a clean look on a turnaround fadeaway jumper he drills to force overtime.

Tatum Capitalizes Against a Familiar Target

Again, the target is Austin Reaves, as Marcus Smart's screen gets Troy Brown Jr. off Tatum. Boston's MVP candidate goes right at him, spinning, stopping, and elevating, swishing the ball softly through the net.

Jaylen Brown Delivers the Dagger

The Celtics run a staggered screen for Brown, and it's Troy Brown Jr.'s responsibility to switch out to him. He's slow to do so and doesn't expect Boston's Brown to pull from 27 feet, but that's what the latter does, delivering the dagger.

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Lakers: Boston's Character Comes Through in an Epic Battle Between Rivals

The Top 5 Plays from Monday's Celtics-Clippers Game

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Clippers: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George Were Up for the Challenge, a Fatigued Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Were Not

[Film Room] What's at the Root of Jayson Tatum's Struggles vs. Warriors on Saturday?

NBA Officially Names Sixth Man of the Year Trophy in Honor of Celtics Icon

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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