Winners of three in a row and owners of the NBA’s best record, the Boston Celtics took the court against the 6-14 Charlotte Hornets with just about as much confidence as a team could have in a single game. The result was far from a let-down game, as the Celtics piled up 45 points in a remarkable first quarter, and cruised to a comfortable win over the Hornets, 140-105.
Jayson Tatum (ankle) returned to play and put up a game-high 35 points in seemingly effortless fashion, while Marcus Smart added 22 points and 15 assists and Malcolm Brogdon tacked on 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting, helping the Celtics overcome the absence of Jaylen Brown (neck) and Al Horford (back).