With Jaylen Brown and Derrick White sidelined for the Boston Celtics on Sunday, Jayson Tatum was forced to carry the load for the second straight game.
And for the second straight game, he delivered.
After notching 26 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in Friday's win over the Atlanta Hawks, Tatum scored a season-high 32 points against the Charlotte Hornets, leading the Celtics to a 114-99 road win that clinched their playoff berth.
Despite focusing their defensive attention on him and double-teaming him at times, the Hornets had no answer for Tatum in his best game of the season. He couldn't be stopped, going 12-for-23 from the floor and canning five 3-pointers.
Tatum also had no trouble finding the open man, trusting his teammates to knock down shots and leading Boston with eight assists.
After the game, Charlotte head coach Charles Lee could only tip his cap to Tatum, his teammates and their tremendous execution.
Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee on Charlotte's defense vs the Celtics:
"I thought it held up well, give Tatum credit. He hit some tough shots. Give the rest of the team credit. We've tried to double team him a couple times . When they were able to get it out to the other guys you… pic.twitter.com/fx9zGMo7w4
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) March 30, 2026
"I thought (our defense) held up well, give Tatum credit. He hit some tough shots," Lee said during his postgame press conference. "Give the rest of the team credit. We've tried to double-team him a couple times. When they were able to get it out to the other guys, you have to live with some of the plays that they're going to make versus our scramble."
Indeed, Tatum wasn't the only Celtic who shot the ball well. Boston shot 50.6 percent from the field, including 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The Celtics will try to stay hot in Monday's rematch with the Hawks.
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