Jayson Tatum had 51 factors, together with seven triples, and the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets for the second time in three days, 130-118 for his or her seventh straight victory.
Derrick White added 19 factors and eight assists and Malcolm Brogdon scored 16 on Monday for the Celtics, who improved to 33-12 on the season — sustaining the most effective document within the Eastern Conference.
Tatum was 15 of 23 from the sphere and 14 of 14 from the foul line.
“He makes me look like a better coach,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned.
Jalen McDaniels led the Hornets with a career-high 26 factors on 5-of-7 taking pictures from three-point vary. LaMelo Ball completed with 25 factors on 8-of-23 taking pictures. Mason Plumlee had maybe his finest all-around recreation of the season, with 19 factors, 12 rebounds and 7 assists for the Hornets (11-34), who’ve misplaced eight of their final 9 video games.
The Celtics set the tone early, leaping out to a 35-22 lead within the first quarter after holding the Hornets to twenty-eight.6 per cent taking pictures from the ground. The Celtics, in the meantime, hit six of 13 threes within the first quarter. Boston completed with 20 from exterior the arc.
Charlotte minimize the result in 100-98 early within the fourth quarter, however White was fouled by Dennis Smith Jr. on a three-point try and made all three free throws.
Tatum took over within the ultimate interval with 17 factors.
He drilled a step-back three from the highest of the important thing to push the result in 10 and put away the sport with an extended triple with 1:02 left. Then, on the crowd’s urging for him to get to 50 factors, Tatum canned a 3 from left wing with 38 seconds left and the gang erupted into chants of “MVP! MVP!”
“I hear them and just being in North Carolina, it all feels a little more special, having gone to school two hours away,” Tatum, who spent one season at Duke earlier than getting into the NBA draft, mentioned.
“Coming here feels like I’m back home a little bit.”
In Milwaukee, there was no Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) for the third straight recreation or Australia’s Joe Ingles (rested) however the Bucks had been nonetheless sturdy sufficient to see off Indiana 132-119.
The hosts improved to 28-16, four-and-a-half video games behind Boston within the East together with the Brooklyn Nets, because of a double-double from Jrue Holiday (35 factors and 11 assists), 25 factors and 11 rebounds from Bobby Portis and 19 factors from Brook Lopez.
For the Pacers, Myles Turner scored 30 factors and T.J. McConnell had 29.
With AP.
