Jayson Tatum came back from a rest game absolutely scorching, dropping 34 points, including 24 in the first half alone, as the Boston Celtics brutalized the injury-riddled Charlotte Hornets 119-80. This wasn’t just a regular season win, folks, it was the C’s first stop on a four-game road trip and a massive statement in their first matchup against the Hornets this season.
The Celtics Own East Group C
This win gives Boston a dominant 7-2 record on the season and a perfect 2-0 in NBA Cup group play for East Group C. They now lead their group by record, and get this, they boast a ridiculous +53 scoring differential! That’s 44 points better than anyone else in the group. You know what that means for the NBA Cup: the winner of each group, plus two wild cards from each conference, are heading to the knockout rounds. The Celtics are clearly out to make a serious run, especially after this showing where Charlotte stood no chance, largely due to five notable injuries. Kon Knueppel, Moussa Diabate, and former Celtics Grant Williams and Dennis Schroder all sat out, and Brandon Miller even left the game at halftime with right groin soreness. Talk about a tough break for the Hornets.
Tatum and the Starters Set the Tone
Boston’s injury report was clear, letting their starting squad of Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta absolutely feast. Tatum started hot right out of the gate with an easy three-pointer off a screen, even with Naz Reid guarding him. But he wasn’t spamming that matchup, oh no. The opening minutes were all about pure energy and activity. Paul George nailed a three after Queta rebounded a midrange clunker. Both George and Queta were stifling the Hornets’ shot attempts. Then White grabbed a defensive rebound, tore down the court, and sunk a transition three, putting the C’s up 9-2 just three minutes in. White and Tatum kept that momentum rolling for minutes, with White scoring on back-to-back and-1s, including a four-point play, giving him 7 points in a ridiculous 15 seconds of game time! Tatum bagged the next two buckets, pushing Boston’s lead to 21-7 with less than seven minutes left in the quarter. At that point, the C’s were a lights-out 5-7 from beyond the arc. The offense might have dragged a little after that as the Hornets tried to settle in, but Payton Pritchard kept the highlight reel going with a sweet step-back three. Even when shots stopped falling so effortlessly, and Charlotte started hitting some of theirs, the Celtics’ activity never slowed. Coach Joe Mazzulla called a timeout and brought in Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser to inject some fresh offense. Scheierman immediately splashed a three-pointer and then drew a foul on the Hornets to get the ball right back for the C’s. Luckily for Boston, Tatum just kept on scorching.
This win puts Boston in prime position for the NBA Cup knockout rounds. With this being the first stop of a four-game road trip, the Celtics will be looking to keep that dominant momentum rolling and cement their status as a true Cup contender as they push forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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