Jayson Tatum makes bold claim after scoring 2nd chance game winner

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum admitted there was some frustration after what he called a “terrible miss” at the end of regulation. The score was tied between the Celtics and Raptors when Tatum had a chance for an open mid-range jumper that would have been the game-winner.

But no matter. Life finds a way. The Celtics and Tatum found themselves in the same spot at the end of overtime. This time, Tatum hit a deep 3-pointer as the buzzer soundedsending the TD Garden crowd into a frenzy. So no damage after the first miss as the Celtics beat the Raptors in an overtime thriller 126-123 on Saturday. And make no mistake: Confidence wasn’t the problem for Tatum when he pulled up the game-winner.

“I have a lot of issues in life — confidence has never been one of them,” Tatum said. “I’ve worked too hard on my craft and played too much basketball to ever doubt the next shot, whether it’s an in-and-out miss or if I miss the rim, I know what I’m capable of , and you always believe that the next one will come in.

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Tatum started the night strong, going 4-for-7 in the first quarter for 13 points. The C’s were in a dogfight against a Raptors team looking to find a spark, and Tatum was a big part of that initial surge. But the shots dried up from there, as Tatum shot 1-for-9 in the final three quarters, including that miss at the end of regulation. Tatum finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in another close miss of a triple-double.

But the Celtics had enough juice to keep it going in a back-and-forth game Saturday. There were 27 lead changes as the teams flip-flopped between leads throughout the overtime period. So while the Raptors rolled in with one of the worst records in the league, as has been common for the C’s for years, they got Toronto’s best shot.

The game-winning play itself was also a bit broken. On first down, Tatum got the ball from Derrick White. Then Jaylen Brown ran from the corner to get the ball from Tatum, but Brown was knocked off his feet by a hard contact from Davion Mitchell. Brown tumbled to the floor when Tatum thought a foul was going to be called. But when the whistle didn’t blow, Tatum decided he was going to take the final shot — and he delivered.

So the Celtics will learn from Saturday’s win. There is a lot of value for big teams in not only winning ugly, but doing it on an off-night. And Tatum was a big part of that as the Celtics are now 11-3 on the season. They now have a huge test on Tuesday against the Cavaliers, who are still undefeated at 14-0 and atop the East.

“Every kid growing up, in their driveway or in a gym or in a park, counted down out loud and saw themselves in a moment like this,” Tatum said. “For me, I’ve always wanted to be a part of those moments and never worry if you’re missing or anything like that. I have never been afraid of the outcome, good or bad. My favorite players I grew up watching had moments like this where they made them and they missed them. But they were always willing, no matter how the game went, to be in that moment and be brave, I think, in those moments.”