BSJ Game Report: Boston Celtics 115, Charlotte Hornets 101 - Jayson Tatum's roll, Celtics win-streak continue

Everything you need to know about the Boston Celtics' win over the Charlotte Hornets, with BSJ insight and analysis. 

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics came out attacking and scoring almost at will at the rim, but they were a little too loose on the other end. They built a bit of a lead but they had an awful second quarter that spilled into an ugly start to the third, but they picked it up midway through and got five gift free throws at the end. That carried into the start of the fourth quarter, when Jayson Tatum took over to put the game away. 

Box Score

Holy Jayson Tatum, Batman: We’ll get to his full game numbers in a second (I gotta save something for later). All you need to know is his fourth quarter: 16 points, 6-7 shooting, 4-4 from 3, including some ridiculous contested shots.

“I'm in a lot better zone than I was to start the season,” Tatum joked after the game. “That's just part of it. I believe in the work I put in and I never doubted myself. I'm just thankful my teammates didn't doubt me either. I knew I wasn't going to miss all season, but I'm just grateful and thankful for the position I'm in and hopefully we keep it going.”

So we’re flipping switches now: This has not been a team generally able to coast and then just turn it on. I guess in a weird way that's a sign of a good team? I’ve written before about good teams just kind of meandering through a game and then having a takeover stretch to pull away. That's pretty much what happened in this one. 

“On the defensive end it really felt like that, where we locked in for a good stretch,” Ime Udoka said. “In the end of the third quarter we kind of pulled away. The group in that third-quarter break was locking in and focused. Even though they scored 30 in that quarter, we really defended well, pulled away and had a stretch there.”

TURNING POINT

With 16 seconds to go in the third, and Boston up by 4, the Hornets intentionally fouled Daniel Theis, seemingly in an effort to go “hack-a-Theis” and get the ball back for one more possession for themselves. It backfired with Theis hitting both free throws. 

Then, when they did get the ball back, Kelly Oubre fouled Tatum trying to track down a rebound, putting him at the line because they were in the bonus. 

AND THEN Oubre picked up a technical foul, giving Tatum a third free throw. He buried all of them, and Boston went on a gift 5-0 run to end the quarter and go up 9. Then the Celtics came out on a 9-0 run to start the fourth, giving them a 14-0 run in just 2:10 of play. The lead went from 4 to 18 in a blink. 

I can’t even sugarcoat this. That end of the third was some of the dumbest basketball I’ve ever seen. 

FOUR UP

Jayson Tatum: 44 points on 66.7% shooting from the field and from 3, and a perfect 6-6 from the line. He also had 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a very disrespectful block that went into the fifth row. He tied Kevin McHale’s record for points in consecutive games with 98. 

“He’s on quite a tear right now,” Udoka said. “He’s getting the matchups he wants and getting to the spots he wants, and getting the shots he wants. That’s a huge luxury to have when you have a guy who can do that.”

Marcus Smart: Some very nice point guarding from Marcus Smart in this game. He finished with 9 assists and 12 points on 50% shooting, including going full Inigo Montoya and finishing left-handed for a while. He only took a single 3-pointer, but he must have passed up a handful to keep the ball moving.

Derrick White: He finished with 11 points and 8 assists, giving the Celtics 23 points and 17 assists from their top two point guards. White was spectacular on the defensive end all night, finishing with 2 steals and 3 blocked shots. 

Al Horford: He’s just steady. 10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 50% shooting, and all with Robert Williams’ minutes being cut basically in half because of foul trouble. He’s just dependable. 

TWO DOWN

Jaylen Brown: He woke up late in the third quarter to give Boston a quick 7 point spurt on 3-6 shooting, but he also had 3 turnovers in the third, 4 overall, and aside from that burst, a tough, slow night. It could be that the ankle was bugging him, or it could be just an off night. He shot 6-16 overall, and 1-8 on 3-pointers. He did manage 5 assists, though, so he did make a contribution. 

Payton Pritchard: Just 9 minutes but a tough stretch, hitting just 1-5. He tried to do too much with the ball a couple of times. 

TOP PLAYS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- If this game was a color, it’d be beige.

Beige is fine. It’s functional. It’s the color of every dorm room, apartment, and casual pant in Mitt Romney’s closet. It’s unremarkable. 

Aside from Tatum’s heroics in the fourth quarter, that's basically what this game was. Yes, there's room to talk about another 44 from Tatum, which I will conveniently do in a separate piece, but the rest? Eh. 

And that's actually a good thing, because Celtics games used to be a gloomy kind of gray for way too long. A game like this had letdown written all over it, which is why I asked so many questions about letdowns at practice on Tuesday. And they did, sort of, let down against the Hornets. They're just too good now to have that burn them like it used to. 

So enjoy your khakis, your 90 calorie beer, and your boiled chicken. If you want, throw some sriracha on the chicken and say that's Tatum’s fourth quarter. Maybe the Pistons will have some extra sauce.