Celts

“I just wanted to get back on track and try to dominate the match as best I could.”

The Celtics rallied to beat the Nets 139-114 on Wednesday, one night after their disappointing loss to the Hawks.

Despite trailing by 13 points in the first quarter, Boston came back strong with Jayson Tatum scoring 36 points. He also had 10 assists and nine rebounds, while Jaylen Brown had 24 points and 12 rebounds.

In an interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin, Tatum admitted that the team “didn’t feel great” playing Tuesday night but was “excited about another opportunity to respond” and “bounce back.”

“I didn’t necessarily play well,” Tatum said of his performance in the NBA Cup opener. “I turned the ball over too much and I just wanted to get back on track and try to dominate the game as best I could.”

The Hawks defeated the Celtics as Tatum and Brown combined for 11 of the team’s 20 turnovers. The good thing about the NBA, though, is that “there’s always another game,” Tatum said.

Boston put up 38 points in the third quarter, going 7-for-11 from beyond the three-point line and had 74 points in the entire second half.

Tatum said he and Brown felt more pressure to set the tone with energy and lead the team.

“You’re not always going to make shots, but you know, do you have an impact on the game? Do you get other guys open? Do you attack the edge? Do you assert yourself on both sides of the floor? said Tatum. “That’s what Joe (Mazzulla) challenges us to do every night.”

The Celtics host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday at 8 p.m