Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 119-93 win over the Hornets with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Jayson Tatum erupts for career night: Jayson Tatum scored 22 of his career-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, helping the hosts turn a tight affair into a rout with a 35-16 run in the final frame as the Celtics rolled to a 119-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Tatum also posted the first 30-10 game of his career with 12 rebounds to go with his career-high 39 on 15-of-29 shooting from the field. Kemba Walker added 23 points and 4 assists while Jaylen Brown stuffed the box score with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists to carry the scoring load for the shorthanded C's with Gordon Hayward (foot) and Marcus Smart (eye infection) still sidelined.
Boston's bench also saw some big contributions from the youngsters as Romeo Langford chipped in with eight points in a career-high 23 minutes while Grant Williams posted his second straight double-digit scoring game with 12 points. Devonte Graham had a team-high 23 points for the Hornets in the setback, who only scored 56 points over the final three quarters after erupting for 37 points in the opening frame.
Three in a row: The Celtics improved to 3-0 playing without Smart and Hayward during the past week, improving to 12-1 at home on the year. They have pulled themselves even with the Heat and Raptors for a three-way tie for the second seed in the Eastern Conference with two critical matchups looming against a shorthanded Toronto team later this week.
Help is on the way: Hayward missed his third straight game with a sore foot but does not seem to be far away from a return to the court according to the head coach.
TURNING POINT
After an underwhelming first half by the Celtics’ defense, Brad Stevens elected to go small down the stretch of the second quarter with Grant Williams at center and it provided a serious spark. Boston closed the half with a 10-2 outburst, giving them the lead and momentum for the final 24 minutes of the contest.
TWO UP
Jayson Tatum in the fourth quarter: In the midst of a career-night, the 22-year-old was close to unstoppable in the fourth quarter, posting 22 points on 9-of-13 FG in just nine minutes of action to help carry the hosts to a 35-16 edge in the frame.
Romeo Langford: Injuries have opened the door for minutes for the rookie swingman and he has taken advantage over the last two contests. After knocking down his first NBA basket on Friday night, Langford played nine productive first-half minutes which included his first 3, a block and a couple hustle plays that led to scoring chances for the C’s. He finished with eight points and four rebounds in a career-high 23 minutes.
ONE DOWN
Celtics’ 3-point defense in the first half: Charlotte has one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA in Devonte Graham but you wouldn’t know with the relaxed way the C’s defended him in the first half. He knocked down five 3s in the first half and led all scorers with 19 points at intermission as the Hornets went 7-of-12 from deep before the break.
TOP PLAY
JT knocks down the step-back three to set a new career high in tonight's @JetBlue Play of the Game! pic.twitter.com/oySqnV9chf
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 23, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Grant Williams is finally regressing to the mean (in a good way): The power forward finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, marking his second straight game with at least 10 points (3rd of season). He’s shooting 71 percent over the last three games from the field and has knocked down 5-of-9 3s over the last five games after a brutal 0-of-25 shooting start to the year from downtown. Williams still has a long way to go to bring up his shooting averages to respectable numbers but that doesn’t mean anything for his present contributions. He’s hitting enough shots now to spend time on the floor as a power forward or a center and that’s beneficial for the C’s defense thanks to his versatility. With no help coming in the frontcourt for at least another few weeks with Robert Williams and Vincent Poirier sidelined, there are still going to be minutes to be had there once Gordon Hayward returns. Williams’ contributions on the offensive end have cemented a role for himself.
The Celtics are getting something from almost everyone on this roster right now: This is a roster full of some glaring holes but it was an encouraging night for Brad Stevens to see solid contributions from ten players who saw big minutes. Tatum, Walker, and Brown carried the scoring heavy lifting again but it was the bench unit that helped separate the game in the second half and lock down the defense after a rough first quarter. Brad Wanamaker chipped in with a season-high eight assists. Enes Kanter continues to be a rebounding machine (14.7 rebounds per game over the last three wins) while rookies like Green, Langford and Williams all brought their own set of positive stretches to the table. That type of depth won’t be needed nightly when Hayward and Smart return later this week, but it will allow for opportunities to rest other key pieces as the season continues. It’s not an impressive group on paper but everyone is doing their job well, particularly against inferior opponents.
