Keys to the Game: Celtics 125, Lakers 121 (OT)

How do we sum up what just happened at TD Garden? Here’s our best attempt

First, the Celtics were the beneficiary of a delayed and critical whistle.

Then, they were the beneficiary of a non-whistle.

And finally, Jaylen Brown carried them home during overtime.

It was Brown who drew that delayed whistle with 4.1 seconds left in regulation. The call arrived after the star wing had crashed the offensive glass on a missed 3-pointer by Al Horford, which led to a putback layup off the glass to make it a one-point game. He immediately asked the baseline official for a foul but didn’t get what he wanted – until another referee stepped to deliver the game-changing call.

That official made the correct call on Beverley, who had made contact with the top of Brown’s head as Brown dropped the layup in. The call sent Brown to the line for a game-tying free throw, which he calmly sank to make it 110-110.

It must be noted that just two nights prior, Brown missed two free throws that could have either sent Boston to overtime against New York, or won the game. He certainly redeemed himself on this night, and then some.

More to come on that later.

First, though, it’s on to the next critical moment: a non-whistle on the final play of regulation.

Following an LA timeout, LeBron James drove to the basket down the left side of the lane for a potential game-winning layup. He put a shot up off the glass with his left hand but left it short. Based upon his reaction, which was of complete disbelief after not drawing a whistle, he most definitely thought he was fouled on the attempt. The officials, however, saw it differently, and on we went to overtime.

That’s when Brown took complete control of the game by scoring Boston’s first seven points of overtime in a span of only 52 seconds. His 3-pointer at the 4:08 mark pushed the Celtics ahead 113-107 and their lead never dropped below three points from that moment on.

Brown went on to add in another four points, plus an assist to Jayson Tatum, before the Celtics closed out the 125-121 victory.

You’re going to hear plenty about Jaylen Brown tonight, so we’re giving some well-deserved love to Malcolm Brogdon in this slot.

With the Celtics down two starters and battling foul trouble all night, Brogdon came off the bench to provide the team with one of his most explosive offensive games of the season. He scored 26 points on only 15 shots to lead all reserves in the game. Brogdon shot 8-for-15 from the field overall, 3-for-7 from long distance, and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. His 26 points were 10 more than any other reserve scored during the contest.

Brogdon added in six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot to round out his excellent performance. And what might be the most important stat of all is the fact that Boston outscored Los Angeles by 11 points during his 39-plus minutes of action, giving him the top plus/minus rating on the team.