The Boston Celtics had five players score in double figures and stretched their home winning streak to nine games by breezing past the Charlotte Hornets 140-105 Monday night in a battle between short-handed teams.
Jayson Tatum, who sat out Sunday’s 130-121 victory over the Washington Wizards with ankle soreness, led the Celtics with 35 points in 30 minutes. Boston received 22 points from Marcus Smart, 21 from Malcolm Brogdon, 15 from Derrick White and 11 from Sam Hauser. Smart also had a career-high 15 assists.
Boston shot 59.1 percent from the field (55 of 93) and tied the franchise record for 3-pointers in a home game with 24. Eleven of the 12 Boston players who played in the game scored.
Jalen McDaniels scored a team-high 24 points for the Hornets, who received 22 from Kelly Oubre Jr. and 16 from P.J. Washington.
Boston was without center Al Horford (back) and forward Jaylen Brown (neck soreness). The Celtics often rest Horford in the second game when the team plays on back-to-back nights. Brown scored a season-high 36 points in Sunday’s win against Washington, but appeared to be bothered by neck pain in the second half of that game.
Charlotte was missing five injured players: LaMelo Ball (ankle), Gordon Hayward (shoulder), Terry Rozier (illness), Cody Martin (knee) and Dennis Smith Jr. (ankle).
The Celtics have won four in a row overall and improved to 4-0 in the second game when the team has played on back-to-back nights this season. The loss ended Charlotte’s two-game winning streak. The Hornets dropped to 3-9 in road games.
From an offensive standpoint, the first quarter may have been Boston’s best of the season. The Celtics made 10 3-pointers in the quarter and shot 73.9 percent from the floor. Boston led by 27 at one point and had a 45-19 advantage after 12 minutes. Charlotte trailed 78-55 at halftime and 121-82 after three quarters.
Boston’s largest lead was 42 points.
–Field Level Media
