Jayson Tatum leads the way as the Celtics play overtime to beat the Nets

“Yes,” he said. “I kind of felt like we were due.”

Pritchard was referring to Horford's dart from the right corner with two minutes left in overtime that gave Boston a 3-point lead, its largest lead in the game to that point. Horford referred to everything else that preceded him.

The Celtics were just 14 of 53 from the 3-point line, a level of inaccuracy that is generally impossible to overcome, especially on nights like Friday when Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet were sidelined.

But the unusual path to that victory was partly why it was so satisfying afterward.

“We have the expectation to win regardless of who is on the field,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “[Expletive] It doesn't work out the way you want it to, you just have to figure it out. I like that mentality about them. We had about 18 of them [wins] Last year, and this was one tonight, where we just have to figure it out from everyone and I think that’s important.”

Jayson Tatum scored 33 points to lead the Celtics, but his best moments in critical situations had little to do with scoring. With two minutes left in regulation and Boston trailing 91-89, he cornered before firing a perfect pass to Sam Hauser in the left corner.

To that point, Hauser was just 1 for 9 from the 3-point line, and when he showed some frustration with his problems during a timeout, Horford tried to quell it by emphasizing that the team needed Hauser, to be confident and comfortable. Hauser has achieved this great feat.

Then in overtime, Tatum drew three defenders and hit a left-handed pass to Horford in the right corner. Horford hit the three-pointer that Pritchard later raved about in the locker room.

Then, with the Nets down by 3 with 30 seconds left, Tatum switched to Cam Thomas, smothered him and eventually forced an airball that resulted in a shot clock violation.

“[Tatum] has the ability to impact the game on both ends of the court, a versatile basketball player, so I don't really care if he gets 30 a night if he doesn't do all the other things that are most important to winning,” said Mazzulla. “And when he does that, we’re a different team.”

Because the Celtics found a way to overcome their absences and poor shooting, the outcome afterward was generally positive. They have stressed that few wins come easy, so they will win every one they can.

But it's also true that a team that lost 37-4 at home last season came perilously close to suffering a second straight loss at the Garden, against a team that wasn't expected to reached the playoffs.

Horford acknowledged that despite this win, some minor warning signs emerged.

“I just think we need to make sure we continue to come out more focused,” he said. “I feel like we've relaxed in the last few games and that's not possible. That’s just not possible.”

This time, the apparent lack of focus led to a 16-2 deficit that the Celtics spent almost the entire game trying to erase.

The Nets held back the Celtics' runs all night and led 88-82 with six minutes left in the fourth. But then they went scoreless for more than three minutes, and the Celtics took an 89-88 lead with 4:25 left on a layup by Jrue Holiday.

With 37 seconds left and the score at 92, Thomas (31 points) missed a layup and Tatum grabbed the rebound. After a timeout, the Celtics set up a perfect two-on-one opportunity, with Tatum rushing down the lane and making a dunk.

The Celtics then somehow allowed sharpshooter Cameron Johnson to hit a wide-open three-pointer. They were lucky he missed the ball, but he took the rebound and was fouled. His free throws with 7.6 seconds left tied the score at 94. After a timeout, Tatum tried to create space in the right arc, but his three-point shot missed.

Each team scored on the first four possessions of overtime, but a Tatum fadeaway with 1:19 left that gave the Celtics a 105-102 lead followed a missed 3-pointer by Dorian Finney-Smith, and this was the stop Boston needed.

“I think we're working on being able to hit the ground running and perform, especially in critical times,” Holiday said. “It won’t happen for us every game, but to play at our best I think all it takes is effort and concentration.”

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.