For the Celtics, who have won 11 of their previous 13 games, Derrick White had 19 points and nine rebounds while Kristaps Porzingis contributed 20 points.
The Celtics made 19 3-pointers against the Hornets to get revenge for a 121-118 overtime loss on November 20, when Miles Bridges hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds remaining. Hauser finished 7 of 11 from beyond the arc.
With 26 points and 11 rebounds, Bridges led the Hornets. Grant Williams and Brandon Miller each scored 23 and 19 points.
Boston (59-16), which has already secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, tested Charlotte’s resolve for a spell.
However, the Celtics used their size advantage to blow the game open in the third quarter, with Porzingis scoring 11 points to
The Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night to complete their six-game road trip.
Two clubs at the opposite ends of the Eastern Conference standings engaged in a competitive first half. The C’s went up six points in the second quarter after trailing the whole first. They did this by locking down defensively. For the rest of the game, they maintained their lead and won easily, 118-104.
With Jaylen Brown (hand) sidelined, Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser took the lead, each scoring 25 points. Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis contributed 19 and 20 points, respectively.
Charlotte trailed Miles Bridges (26 points) in the scoring column. Grant Williams, a former Celtic, contributed 23.
The 59-16 Celtics will go back home to play
Playing in Charlotte has a special meaning for Tatum. In his last five visits to Spectrum Centre, the Duke graduate has elevated his game.
In those games, Tatum scored 41, 44, 33, 51, and 45 points. In his previous six games versus the Hornets, he had averaged 41.5 points going into Monday.
It was evident early on that he intended to carry on the pattern. With three 3-pointers made in the first two frames, Tatum scored 16 of his 25 points in the first half.
Tatum finished with a double-double, scoring 25 points on 9 of 19 shots and grabbing 10 rebounds (4–10 3PT). In addition, he recorded a block, two steals, and four assists.
The Hornets were unable to muster much of an answer against the five-time All-Star, even though this wasn’t quite the Tatum takeover we’ve witnessed in previous Charlotte games. Plus, with Hauser and Porzingis providing offensive support in the second half, Tatum wasn’t required to do as much.
On April 12, Tatum will get another opportunity to destroy the Hornets in the regular season’s penultimate game.
Hauser’s best performances this season have come over the last month, including a 6-for-10 3-point shooting night in Portland, a historic 10-for-13 game at Washington, and an 8-for-9 showing in Chicago. Hauser now has 10 games with at least five made 3-pointers off the bench, which matches Payton Prichard for the most in Celtics history. In just 24 minutes, Hauser tied Tatum for a team-high 25 points.
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