Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 102-91 win over the Hornets in quickie form.
HEADLINES
Second-half survival: The Celtics led by as many as 20 points in the first half largely due to a sensational shooting performance early (11-of-18 from 3-point range before the break). The offense came back to earth in a hurry during the second half though (16 points in third quarter) which helped Charlotte trim the lead to just one point after three. Luckily, some strong defense and timely offense (Jayson Tatum scored 10 of his 18 points in fourth quarter) helped the Celtics to hunker down and pull away with the 11-point win in a game that was closer than the score indicates. Kyrie Irving had a team-high 21 points, while Al Horford added 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Backcourt bench delivers: Without three core rotation players (Marcus Morris, Jaylen Brown, Semi Ojeleye) in the lineup, the pressure was on young veterans Shane Larkin and Terry Rozier to carry a shorthanded second unit and they delivered on that front. Larkin was terrific shooting (3-of-4 from 3-point range) and played great defense on Kemba Walker (game-high 24 points) for the entire fourth quarter (just two points for Walker in frame). Rozier played a great all-around game (15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal) to add some life to a listless Celtics squad in the second half.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics took command of the three-point game (89-86) in the final five minutes of the contest with a 10-2 run. Tatum, Horford and Irving carried the offense during the pivotal stretch scoring all ten points during the run that put the game out of reach with a minute remaining. The trio combined to score 59 of Boston’s 102 points on the night.
TWO UP
Jayson Tatum:
Another methodical, efficient night for the rookie. He went 6-of-12 from the field and made all six free-throw attempts to score 18 points. Ten of his total came in the final frame, which helped the Celtics snap out of a scoring slump that lasted nearly the entire third quarter. Per Synergy Sports, Tatum is now fourth in the NBA in scoring efficiency among players with 10 scoring possessions per game.
Al Horford:
Somehow this was the first 20-10 game for the big man in a Celtics uniform over the past two seasons. He did it with ease, going 8-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from downtown. The 31-year-old tied a season-high with four 3-point makes.
TWO DOWN
Marcus Smart’s shot selection:
The 23-year-old guard only took nine shot attempts but a lot of them were long jumpers with plenty of time left on the shot clock. That can’t happen when you are sharing the floor with Irving, Tatum and Horford.
Abdel Nader:
The Celtics were down to 10 healthy players on the active roster and no true wings off the bench, but the rookie didn’t get off the pine. It’s been a tough season so far for the 24-year-old. B
ut if Brad Stevens isn’t going to give you a look in this kind of a game, that doesn’t bode well for your odds of contributing the rest of the way.
TOP PLAY
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Brad Stevens won this game with his rotation decisions:
The head coach knew he was going to have to grind this game out in the second half with defense after a sluggish start after halftime. He wisely leaned on Larkin for the final 13 minutes of the game to pester Walker and the other Hornets guards out on the perimeter. Charlotte shot just 27 percent in the quarter (Walker was 1-of-5). Offensively, Stevens wisely rode Tatum and Horford for the final 12 minutes as well and the pair scored 17 of Boston’s 26 points in the frame.
Kyrie Irving is a consistency machine:
It was his ninth-straight game with at least 20 points. He’s shot above 40 percent in all of them and has made at least two 3-pointers as well. That kind of consistency should not be downplayed on a team without a full arsenal of offensive options. Irving continues to give the game what it needs (21 points, eight assists vs. Charlotte) on any given night and he remains the main reason why this team is 28-10 out of the gate.
