November 7, 2026 at 5:16 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Celtics Hang 40 on Hornets in the First Quarter and Never Look Back in 119-80 Rout

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Boston led 40-20 after one quarter and 70-39 at the half in Charlotte, while Jayson Tatum scored 34 in 29 minutes and the Hornets lost a sixth straight.

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The Celtics had this one settled before the first quarter ended. They scored 40 points in the opening 12 minutes, led Charlotte by 20, and stretched it to 70-39 by halftime. The final was 119-80, a 39-point win for Boston at Spectrum Center. The Hornets looked like a team playing its sixth straight loss, and the building seemed to know it early.

Jayson Tatum, back after sitting out Wednesday for rest, did most of the damage in limited time. He had 34 points in 29 minutes, going 9-for-16 overall and 5-for-8 from three, and added eight rebounds and nine assists. Derrick White gave Boston 18 on 4-of-6 shooting from deep. Payton Pritchard added 12, also with four threes on six tries.

Charlotte's best scorer was Naz Reid, who had 14 on 6-of-17 shooting. Tidjane Salaun scored 13 and Sion James 11. Elsewhere it was thin. Grayson Allen went 0-for-5 and missed all four of his threes in 22 minutes. Christian Anderson missed all seven of his three-point tries. Coby White shot 1-for-8, and Brandon Miller went 3-for-10 for eight points in 14 minutes. Kon Knueppel was out with the hamstring strain. Hannes Steinbach grabbed 11 rebounds but scored four.

The second quarter turned it from a bad start into a blowout, as Boston won it 30-19. The lead was 96-57 through three and the Hornets won the fourth 23-23, which left the margin at 39. Charlotte is now 0-2 in NBA Cup group play and has lost six in a row since its 3-1 start. Boston moves to 7-2.

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