Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum celebrates with center Al Horford (42) after his go-ahead, game-winning shot in the final second of the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
NEW ORLEANS — Jayson Tatum’s jumper with 0.7 seconds left gave the Boston Celtics a 118-116 victory over the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night in the NBA.
Jaylen Brown scored 28 points and Tatum had 27 as the Celtics handed the Pelicans their fifth straight loss. New Orleans lost Dejounte Murray to a lower right leg injury in the first quarter.
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Tatum had 22 points through three quarters before being held in check for much of the fourth. But the Celtics went to him after CJ McCollum’s tying basket with 24 seconds left and he hit the eventual winner over McCollum from the left wing.
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JAYSON TATUM FOR THE WIN 🚨
NAILS THE FADING MIDDY WITH 0.2 SECONDS LEFT!
CLUTCH. BUCKET. GETTER. 😤 pic.twitter.com/nyeGcCLJZ6
— NBA (@NBA) February 1, 2025
Trey Murphy had a season-high 40 points, going 8 for 12 on 3-pointers. Jose Alvarado added 20 points and McCollum had 17.
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Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis scored 13 of the Celtics’ first 17 points of the fourth quarter to build a 108-101 lead. Porzingis and Derrick White each had 16 points.
Takeaways
Celtics: The Celtics had 32 assists on 42 made field goals. Porzingis had four blocks.
Pelicans: Murray, who had averaged 17.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.6 assists since returning from an early season broken hand that caused him to miss 18 games, fell to the court in the first quarter with a non-contact injury to his lower right leg. He was carried into the locker room. … Zion Williamson sat out with a stomach bug. He has missed 36 of 49 games this season.
READ: NBA: Celtics rout Mavericks in first meeting since Finals
Key moment
McCollum threw up a 35-foot hook shot at the buzzer that fell short.
Key stat
McCollum continued his poor outside shooting, going 1 of 7 from long range. He is 7 of 27 from 3 over the last four games.
Up next
The Celtics play in Philadelphia on Sunday night. The Pelicans open a four-game road trip Monday night against the Nuggets.
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