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Key Moment
The start of the third quarter was a sign of things to come Wednesday night at TD Garden. The Celtics scored with ease, and that never changed.
Boston scored six straight points to open the second half to turn their eight-point halftime lead up to 14 during a span of only 93 seconds. Aron Baynes caned a jump shot, Jaylen Brown threw down a loud transition slam after a steal, and Al Horford tossed in a turnaround hook shot to account for the run.
Charlotte answered the 6-0 run with a dunk from Dwight Howard, but Boston had already begun to roll – and there was no stopping the green and white train after it got started. The C’s run expanded to 13-4, and then to 26-9 as they blew the game open to the tune of a 27-point lead with 4:45 remaining in the third period.
That’s right – an eight-point lead ballooned all the way up to a 27-point lead in only seven-plus minutes of action. Boston’s lead eventually grew to as many as 32 points as it polished off a second consecutive blowout win, this time by a final tally of 134-126.
Key Player
Kyrie Irving turned Hump Day into Buckets Day at TD Garden. He was Kyridiculous.
Irving needed only 24-plus of playing time to notch a game-high 34 points. Yes, you read that correctly: 34 points in only 24 minutes.
Kyridiculous.
Irving was incredibly efficient against Charlotte, as he canned 13 of his 18 field goal attempts. That showing included a 4-for-6 effort from long distance and a 4-for-4 performance from the free-throw line.
Somehow, Irving managed to add a whole lot more to the game during his limited action. He also tallied five assists, four rebounds and a steal during the game, all while committing only one turnover.
Want to know what those numbers convert to on a per-36-minutes basis? How does 50 points, 7.4 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals sound?
Yep. That’s pretty Kyridiculus.
Box Score Nuggets
- Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 34 points despite playing only 24-plus minutes and taking only 18 shots.
- Boston led from start to finish, pulling ahead by as many as 32 points.
- Charlotte outscored Boston 52-42 in the paint.
- The Celtics made 62.1 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from 3-point range.
- Seven Celtics scored in double-figures, including four reserves.
- Frank Kaminsky led all reserves with 16 points.
- Boston outscored Charlotte by 28 points during 23 minutes of playing time.
- Kemba Walker scored a team-high 23 points for the Hornets.
- Ten Celtics logged at least one assist, as the team totaled 31 in the game.
- Bostons' 134 points were a season high.
- Aron Baynes logged his third double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-best 10 rebounds.
- Nicolas Batum led the game with 10 assists.
- Dwight Howard scored 21 points but grabbed only three rebounds.
- Marcus Morris scored 15 points, Terry Rozier and Greg Monroe scored 14 apiece, and Marcus Smart scored 10. All of those players game off of Boston's bench.
Quote of the Night
Brad Stevens on his team shooting 62.1 percent from the field over the course of the game.