After a wild finish to Friday’s game, the Celtics responded and gave the Hornets their second loss in as many days with a 113-103 win to complete their first back-to-back of the season.
The Celtics started the game strong making five of their first eight shots to lead 13-7 four minutes into the game. Boston got a boost with LaMelo Ball picking up his second foul early in the first which gave him an early seat.
With the double big lineup, Boston got open looks from deep. Derrick White hit a transition three which gave them the biggest lead of the quarter 21-9, forcing Charles Lee to call the first timeout with six minutes left in the first.
With Jaylen Brown out, Tatum was in attack mode the whole quarter scoring 12 of the team’s first 30 points including a poster dunk on Moussa Diabate.
Tre Mann kept the Hornets in the game scoring eight points from the bench in the opening quarter.
With eight seconds left in the quarter, normally the ball would go to Payton Pritchard, but on this night, Tatum got the final shot and he drilled a step-back three to close the quarter. The triple gave Tatum 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
The Celtics shot 54.2 (13-of-24) from the floor including 42.9% from deep, while Charlotte shot just 42.1% (8-of-19) from the field and 44.4% from three (4-of-9) to lead 38-24.
Tonight is the 5th time this season that Jayson Tatum has scored 13+ points in the 1st quarter. That’s 5 times in 7 games.
No other NBA player has done it more than twice.
1st quarters with 13+ points:
1. Jayson Tatum – 5
2. Donovan Mitchell – 2
3. 16 others – 1 pic.twitter.com/tcJaAxoM8G— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) November 2, 2024
The first half of the second quarter was very back and forth until Pritchard decided to heat up scoring back-to-back threes then to give Boston a 56-35 lead. Pritchard then called his number again scoring another three-pointer for his 17th point of the game with 15 coming from beyond the arc to extend the lead to 19, 59-40.
Every time the Celtics were close to putting the game to bed, LaMelo Ball hit a three to keep the Hornets in striking distance.
The half ended with Boston leading 68-50. Tatum and Pritchard led all scorers with 17 points. Derrick White had 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting and six rebounds while Luke Kornet was a perfect 3-for-3 on the floor and 5-for-5 at the line for 11 points.
Ball led the Hornets with 15 points.
Despite hitting 11 threes, the Celtics were aggressive in the paint going to the line 16 times and knocking down 15. Boston ended the half shooting 47.7% (37.9% from deep).
For the first time in franchise history, the Celtics have at least 11 three-pointers and 15 free throws in the first half!
— Dick Lipe (@DickLipe) November 2, 2024
Charlotte started the third quarter on an 8-0 run in the first two minutes to make it a 10-point lead. Then after a missed shot from Boston, Grant Williams hit a deep three to cut it to single digits. Moments later, Brandon Miller drilled a triple to make it 68-64.
Boston finally scored its first bucket with an alley-oop from White to Kornet, but Boston was hit by another three from the Hornets to make it a one-possession game 70-67 four minutes into the quarter.
Ball picked up two quick fouls with 3:16 left to go back to the bench with his fourth foul with his Hornets down eight (80-72).
Tatum’s shot in the first half and the third quarter as he made just one three in eight attempts, with at least two threes being airballs.
The Hornets cut their 18-point halftime deficit to 11 entering the fourth quarter with the C’s holding on to an 85-74 lead.
Similar to the third quarter, the Celtics came out of the quarter struggling to make shots. Their first points came from a Sam Hauser layup with 9:15 left in the fourth. Boston followed that shot with a Jrue Holiday midrange before LaMelo hit a three to keep the game close with 8:06 left and Boston winning 91-82.
After a great block by Derrick White, Payton Pritchard scored his 22nd point with a straightaway three and got the lead back to ten 99-89. The Celtics continued to match Charlotte on offense, all with Tatum on the bench.
Interesting how Mazzulla held Tatum out to see how this lineup would deal with some adversity. They held up the lead. Tatum and Queta now checking in with 4:36 left to finish the game. BOS 101, CHA 91. #Celtics #Hornets
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) November 3, 2024
With an 11-point lead, LaMelo Ball fouled Tatum as he was shooting a three to pick up his fifth foul. Tatum made two of three free throws to push Boston’s lead to 13, 106-93. On the following possession, Tatum put a seal on the game with a two-handed dunk.
Then Tatum threw an alley-oop to Neemias Queta who dunked it on Grant Williams and stared him down.
Ball ended up fouling out with 20.9 seconds, but finished the game with 36 points.
Boston had five players score at least 18 points: Tatum (29), Kornet (19), White (18), and Pritchard (22).
