The Boston Celtics scored 148 points against the Brooklyn Nets while shooting 66.7% from the field and 64.7% from three-point range, producing an offensive rating of 159.1 that ranks as the second-highest in NBA history. The performance came without Jayson Tatum, who has been out for 41 weeks with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Jaylen Brown and Nikola Vucevic led the scoring in a game that extended Boston’s record to 13-0 when making 20 or more three-pointers. Coach Joe Mazzulla credited the team’s ability to read the defense and execute, pointing to preparation as the foundation for the shooting performance rather than treating it as an outlier.
Celtics are 13-0 when hitting 20 or more threes as offensive efficiency continues without Tatum
The 148-point outing against Brooklyn fits a season-long pattern rather than representing a single-game anomaly. Boston’s perfect record in games with 20-plus threes reflects a roster built around spacing and shooting volume, with multiple players capable of carrying the offensive load on any given night. Brown’s role as the primary scorer has expanded in Tatum’s absence, and Vucevic has provided interior scoring and passing that keeps defenses from collapsing on the perimeter.
The Celtics sit at 39-20 and second in the Eastern Conference, a position that demonstrates how effectively the roster has performed during an extended stretch without its best player. The offensive infrastructure Mazzulla has built does not depend on a single creator, which has allowed Boston to remain competitive even as Tatum works through his rehabilitation.
Tatum practicing with G League team 41 weeks after Achilles rupture as 76ers game moved to primetime
Tatum has been practicing with the Celtics’ G League affiliate as part of a gradual return process and has said he feels improvement daily without committing to a specific comeback date. The Celtics’ upcoming game against the Philadelphia 76ers has been moved to primetime, a scheduling decision that signals the league expects Tatum’s return to be close even if it has not been formally announced.
Adding Tatum to a team that has already posted the second-highest offensive rating in a single game in league history would give Boston a dimension it has managed without but would clearly benefit from in a playoff setting. His ability to create his own shot and draw defensive attention would open further opportunities for the shooters who have carried the offense during his absence, making the Celtics a different proposition entirely once he is available for the postseason.