BOSTON — The Nets wasted a brilliant outing from Kyrie Irving and watched as Jayson Tatum stole Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Tatum’s cutting layup, with Irving defending him, just beat the final buzzer and beat Brooklyn 115-114 before a sellout crowd of 19,156 that shook and rocked TD Garden.
Irving had been unguardable in Sunday’s return to Boston, pouring in a game-high 39 points. But the Nets squandered it, in a heated matchup that featured the Celtics fans jeering and booing and cursing Irving from the start, and the All-Star giving them the finger after a third-quarter 3-pointer.
“I wouldn’t say we’d like to avoid them in any way,” Irving said before the series. “This is the best part of the story that could be written. We go against Boston and have a chance to redeem ourselves [for a shaky regular-season]. They have a healthy team, we have a healthy team; now we get to see who’s [better].”
On Sunday, the Celtics were one play better.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum celebrates the game-winning basket as Nets guard Kyrie Irving looks on.Getty Images
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum hits the game-winner at the buzzer.NBAE via Getty Images
Irving had carried the Nets back from a 15-point third-quarter deficit, and a nine-point hole in the fourth. He gave them a 107-102 lead with 5:30 to play, but they couldn’t hold it.
Boston closed on a 13-7 run.
With the game knotted at 109-all, Kevin Durant (23 points) got a shooter’s bouncer on a 13-foot baseline turnaround with 1:20 to play.
Boston big man Al Horford’s put-back pulled the game even with 59 seconds left. But Irving drilled a huge 3-pointer 14 seconds later, sending the Celtics into a timeout.
Nets guard Kyrie Irving watches his shot.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Jaylen Brown’s layup cut Brooklyn’s lead to one with 38 seconds remaining, and, after Durant missed a forced…