NBA: Jayson Tatum, short-handed Celtics handle Hornets

Jayson Tatum scored 32 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out eight assists to lead the short-handed Boston Celtics to a 114-99 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night, extending their winning streak to three games.

Boston (50-24) played without leading scorer Jaylen Brown, who is sidelined with left Achilles tendinitis, and Derrick White, who leads the team in assists, steals, and blocks. Brown, averaging 28.6 points per game, has missed the Celtics’ last two contests. Despite his absence, Boston has gone 8-1 in games without Brown this season.

Payton Pritchard added 28 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Neemias Queta contributed 17 points and eight rebounds. Pritchard has scored a total of 64 points over his last two games. Boston shot 41.2% from three-point range, making 14 of 34 attempts.

For Charlotte (39-36), LaMelo Ball led with 19 points, followed by Miles Bridges with 14. Brandon Miller added 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Kon Knueppel chipped in 13 points, hitting just 1 of 6 from beyond the arc. The Hornets shot 27.9% from three-point range, making 12 of 43 attempts.

Boston jumped ahead early, building a 27-21 lead after the first quarter. A 12-0 run capped by Ron Harper Jr.’s 3-pointer gave the Celtics a 37-21 advantage with 9:37 remaining in the second. Sam Hauser’s 3-pointer later pushed Boston’s lead to 53-34, and the Celtics went into halftime ahead 63-49.

Tatum’s 3-pointer early in the third extended the lead to 75-55. The Celtics held an 89-75 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Charlotte narrowed the gap to nine points after a Ball 3-pointer with 8:35 remaining, but Boston answered with an 11-4 run, taking a 106-90 lead with 5:57 left. The Hornets were never able to close the gap the rest of the way.

—Field Level Media/Reuters