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Keys to the Game: Celtics 120, Hornets 111

Marc D'Amico
Team Reporter and Analyst

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Key Moment

The Celtics weren’t going to give away Wednesday night’s matchup with Charlotte. They pulled ahead by 20 points during the first quarter but needed to gut out a victory down the stretch by making big play after big play.

The most important plays of all arrived during a stretch from the 5:55 mark of the fourth quarter to the 3:03 mark. During that time frame, Boston scored eight straight points to take its lead from four points all the way up to 12.

It should shock no one that the two players who keyed the run were Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who scored 38 and 35 points apiece, respectively, during the contest.

Brown got it all started by draining a deep triple from 27 feet away at the 5:55 mark. Tatum followed that 3-pointer up with five straight points which were scored in a variety of ways. He first made a free throw, then connected on a fadeaway jumper, then dropped in a driving reverse layup to push the C’s ahead 110-98 with 3:03 left on the clock.

From that point on, every time Charlotte attempted to punch the Celtics, the C’s punched right back. Their lead never dropped below nine points before Boston closed out its 120-111 victory.

Key Player

Tristan Thompson’s inner fire was ignited Wednesday night, that is for certain.

Thompson earned the fifth double-double of his season Wednesday night by compiling 13 rebounds and 12 points during a win over the Charlotte Hornets. Those 13 boards not only marked a game-high total, but they also tied his season high in that category.

The most remarkable part of Thompson’s elite rebounding night was the fact that the majority of his work was put in at the offensive end of the court. He hauled in seven offensive boards – only four fewer than Charlotte’s entire team pulled down.

Thompson shot an effective 5-for-9 from the field and also added in three assists and two blocks during his nearly 29 minutes of action.

Box Score Nuggets

  • Jaylen Brown (38 points) and Jayson Tatum (35 points) each eclipsed the 35-point barrier.
  • Charlotte's leading scorer, Devonte' Graham, scored 25 points.
  • Tristan Thompson grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, including seven at the offensive end.
  • Thompson's seven offensive rebounds were just four shy of Charlotte's team total.
  • Tatum flirted with a triple-double by also grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out a game-high eight assists.
  • Payton Pritchard finished with the game's top plus/minus rating at plus-16.
  • Aaron Nesmith recorded career highs of 15 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
  • Cody Zeller led all reserves with 16 points.
  • Boston led for the entirety of the final three quarters.
  • The Celtics scored at least 30 points during three of the four quarters.

Quote of the Night

Aaron Nesmith on how hard he plays