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Tory BarronESPN Editor
We’ll take more of that, please. The 2022 NBA playoffs have been off to a strong start, and Game 1 of the first-round playoff series between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics was no exception. The 115-114 Boston win had plenty of excitement thanks in large part to the heroics of Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving.
Tatum (31 points) sealed the win for the Celtics when he caught a pass from Marcus Smart, spun around and dropped in a layup just before time expired. The win marks Tatum’s fourth straight 30-point game in the playoffs dating back to last postseason. The 24-year-old ties Larry Bird in 1987 for the longest such streak in Celtics history.
On the Nets side of the equation, Irving put on a show. He scored 39 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter. Kevin Durant added 23 points but shot just 9-of-24 as Boston’s defense applied pressure, making things challenging on the Brooklyn star.
The matchup — which was tied with less than two minutes left to play — had the league talking.
LeBron James, Draymond Green, Kevin Love and more NBA stars turned to Twitter fingers to react to Kyrie’s skills, Tatum’s buzzer-beater and the possibility of six more games just like this one:
Young God-rie is so damn good at basketball man!!! INSANE SKILL!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 17, 2022
Damn shame he ain’t Top 75! 🤦🏾♂️ https://t.co/jQyMvd0qXO
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 17, 2022
Wow what a finish…
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) April 17, 2022
Potentially 6 more games of this…? Epic
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) April 17, 2022
This series 🔥🔥🔥🔥 JT SPIN CYCLE
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) April 17, 2022
JT for game 😳
— Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges) April 17, 2022
What a game!!
— Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges) April 17, 2022
This series going to be good!
— Theo pinson (@tpinsonn) April 17, 2022
NBA PLAYOFFS!!! Wow 😯
— Dejounte Murray (@DejounteMurray) April 17, 2022
What a game…
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) April 17, 2022
What a game!!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 17, 2022
And there’s the difference in the Celtics team. Last year Marcus Smart would’ve taken that shot. Ime got him to buy in and be the Marcus smart everyone loved out of Ok State. BEAUTIFUL! Looking like a true PG again! That’s what made Him special!
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) April 17, 2022
