Jayson Tatum goes for playoff career-high 50 points, Celtics beat Nets 125-119 in Game 3 in Kyrie Irving’s return

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum wasn’t about to lose. Even with the Nets throwing whatever defense they could at Tatum, whatever scoring they could to match him, Tatum stood up to every challenge.

The night started with boos and jeers for former Celtic Kyrie Irving in his Boston return in front of fans. It ended with Tatum showcasing how bright his future is in an incredible performance. Tatum poured in a playoff career-high 50 points, boosting the Celtics to a 125-119 win Friday at TD Garden.

The Celtics picked up the all-important, crucial victory in the first-round series. They head to Game 4 back at TD Garden down 2-1, avoiding the dreaded three-nothing hole.

The start was a worst-case scenario for the Celtics, who were down 19-4 and the Nets hitting nearly every one of their 3-pointers. But Boston wasn’t about to lay down. The C’s were back on the home court — and while it was capped at 25% with 4,789 people — the fans were rowdy all night. The Celtics outscored the Nets 29-13 the rest of the quarter, snatching the first-quarter lead.

The Celtics controlled the rest of the game, even building their own huge lead in the fourth. While the Nets made it interesting in the fourth quarter late, the Celtics kept them at arm’s length.

Tatum was incredible, but Marcus Smart has been the Celtics’ X-factor this series and he followed the hot shooting, going for 23 points on 5-for-8 3-point shooting Friday. But it was the role players like Tristan Thompson, 19 points and 13 rebounds, and others who added another element to the Celtics’ offense. Evan Fournier had 17 points, including hitting some big-time shots.

The Nets had at least two of their stars balling out as Kevin Durant had 39 points and James Harden added 41 points and 10 assists. Kyrie Irving was a non-factor, finishing with just 16 points in his return to the Garden on 6-for-17 shooting.

The Celtics take on the Nets in Game 4 of the first-round series at 7 p.m. Sunday at TD Garden. The crowd is expected to be near full capacity as state guidelines allows for more fans.

Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Brooklyn:

The Tatum the Celtics needed: It was a rough start to the series for Tatum, who was averaging 15.5 points per game through two games. He left Game 2 early with a poked right eye, but that didn’t stop the two-time All-Star on Friday. Tatum hunted mismatches, got to the rim and looked like the budding superstar of late. His 21 first-half points were huge for the Celtics and taking a healthy lead to halftime. Tatum hit just about every big shot down the stretch, including a huge 19-point third quarter.

A Celtic returns: It was expected to be a rowdy crowd and there were certainly boos directed toward Irving, especially whenever he even so much as looked at the ball. Irving struggled in his first game back at the Garden in front of fans. Irving was passive all night, including just two points at halftime. He was showered with chants from the crowd, which occasionally included some profanity.

Role players show out: While it was the Tatum show for large parts of Friday, the C’s needed a lot more from their roster — and they got that from unexpected parts. Thompson was a force inside, swallowing offensive rebounds, showcasing his rebounding skills that long frustrated the Celtics in past years. Romeo Langford looked confident knocking down some 3-pointers, finishing with six points and six rebounds. Fournier was the third scoring option the Celtics desperately needed.

Boston defends home court: The Celtics weren’t able to steal a win at Barclays Center, but they were able to take care of business on the Garden court. That gives them a fighting chance for the rest of the series, though it’s still a tall task against the Nets. But still, the Celtics proved they can beat the Nets, their first win in five tries on the season. That’s a mental hurdle they can take to the rest of the series, however long that is.

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