After snapping the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 12-game win streak and beating an Atlanta Hawks squad that had won 14 of 15, the Celtics knocked off another of the NBA’s hottest teams Sunday in Charlotte — and did so without two of their starters.
Boston routed the Hornets — owners of the NBA’s best net rating since Jan. 1 — 114-99 at the Spectrum Center while Jaylen Brown and Derrick White watched from the bench in street clothes.
Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 32 points, eight assists and five rebounds in his most efficient outing since his return from Achilles surgery earlier this month (12-for-23; 5-for-10 from 3-point range). Payton Pritchard added 28-6-6 on 10-of-20 shooting as the Celtics avenged their 29-point home loss to Charlotte on March 4.
With the win, Boston improved to 50-24 and officially clinched a playoff spot.
The Celtics also moved to 8-1 this season without Brown, who missed his second straight game with Achilles tendonitis. White sat out with a right knee contusion, and backup center Nikola Vucevic missed his 12th straight game as he works his way back from finger surgery. Tatum and Neemias Queta (17 points, eight rebounds) were upgraded from questionable to available before tipoff.
To replace White and Brown, Mazzulla plugged Pritchard and Jordan Walsh into his starting five.
The choice of Walsh over Baylor Scheierman — who started for Brown on Friday and has been above Walsh on the depth chart for the last two-plus months — was notable, as the former had not started a game since New Year’s Day. Walsh was coming off a strong outing against Atlanta, however, playing 27 minutes and blocking three shots after six consecutive DNP-CDs.
Pritchard’s start Sunday was just his second since the team moved him to the bench following its Anfernee Simons-for-Vucevic trade in early February.
Tatum, who’s felt “rusty” and frustrated with his play since his comeback from Achilles surgery, looked more like his vintage self in the first quarter against Charlotte. He scored or assisted on all six Celtics baskets during his opening six-minute shift, including a couple of explosive drives to the rim past Brandon Miller and Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Each of Tatum’s two early assists — a behind-the-back feed to Sam Hauser and a mid-air dish to Pritchard, both of which led to 3-pointers — was highlight-worthy, as was his pinpoint inbounds pass to a cutting Walsh that set up an and-one layup midway through the second quarter.
As a shooter — the weakest element of his game over his first 11 appearances — Tatum went 7-for-12 from the field and 3-for-4 from three in the first half, totaling 20 points. In the process, he became the ninth and youngest player in Celtics history to reach 14,000 points in his career. Only Larry Bird did so in fewer games.
Pritchard added 13 points before halftime, including three midrange jumpers during one second-quarter stretch with Tatum on the bench.
Another first-half difference-maker: two-way player Ron Harper Jr., who rarely sees action when the Celtics have their full roster available. Harper made his first three field goals, grabbed three rebounds, blocked a shot and stole a Coby White pass in 10 minutes of floor time. His corner three capped a 10-0 Celtics run to open the second quarter, putting Boston ahead 37-21.
Two minutes later, Harper landed awkwardly on his right ankle, exited toward the locker room and sat out the rest of the first half, but he later returned.
Up 63-49 at half, Boston stretched its lead to 20 points early in the third quarter, with Tatum and Pritchard again leading the charge. Pritchard scored seven straight Celtics points — including a second-chance 3-pointer off a gritty offensive rebound by Neemias Queta — to make it 72-53. Tatum assisted on his team’s first three second-half makes, then canned his fourth triple of the game.
A scoring binge from Charlotte’s bench cut the deficit to 14 points entering the fourth quarter. LaMelo Ball, who’d been held to seven points on 2-of-11 shooting to that point, then caught fire, converting a layup and two 3-pointers to bring the Hornets within single digits.
During an ensuing timeout, Mazzulla changed tactics, ditching the small-ball lineup he deployed at the start of the fourth quarter and reinserting Queta. The Celtics proceeded to score on their next six possessions to reestablish control.
Back-to-back buckets by Tatum made it 106-90 with 5:57 remaining and ended the Celtics star’s night. Hornets head coach Charles Lee pulled his starters two minutes later, sending in a squadron of deep reserves that included popular ex-Celtics forward Xavier Tillman. Mazzulla followed suit, giving 10-day signee Charles Bassey and rookies Amari Williams, Max Shulga and John Tonje some run in garbage time.