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Key Moment
Boston took down the Hornets Wednesday night at TD Garden by applying pressure on the rim during crunch time.
And the 7-foot-6 wingspan of Robert Williams didn’t hurt, either.
The two teams were tied up at 107-107 heading into the final minute, and that’s when the Celtics earned back-to-back trips to the free-throw line to seal the game.
First, it was Jayson Tatum, who secured a switch onto Terry Rozier and immediately attacked the rack. He drew a foul on Rozier and then canned both of his free throws with 35.0 seconds left.
Next, Williams got into the mix with his incredible wingspan by blocking a 3-point attempt from the left wing by P.J. Washington. He not only swatted the attempt away, but also kept it in play – right into the hands of Tatum. Tatum eventually got the ball into the hands of Smart, and Charlotte was forced to foul, sending Smart to the line. The longtime Celtic calmly sank both of his attempts.
Boston closed out the win in emphatic fashion as Williams slammed home an oop from Tatum to complete a 6-0 run to close out the contest. That run provided the C’s with a 113-107 victory.
Key Player
Marcus Smart was not only one of Boston’s top facilitators Wednesday night, but he was also one of its top scorers.
Smart finished Wednesday’s win with 22 points on an efficient 7-for-11 shooting performance. That total fell just one point shy of tying Josh Richardson for the top mark on the team.
The point guard also dished out six assists on the night compared to only two turnovers. Only Jayson Tatum, who dished out nine helpers, logged more assists on the night.
Smart closed out his box score with four rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot during his 33-plus minutes of action. He continues to play some of the best basketball of his career, which has helped to lead Boston to 10 wins in its last 14 games.
Box Score Nuggets
- Six of the eight Celtics who appeared in the game scored at least 10 points, led by 23 from reserve Josh Richardson.
- Richardson's 23 points off the bench outscored Charlotte's entire crop of reserves.
- Six of the eight Celtics who appeared in the game finished with a positive plus/minus rating.
- LaMelo Ball scored a game-high 38 points on 12-for-24 shooting.
- Mason Plumlee led the game with 17 rebounds, while Al Horford led Boston with 12.
- Robert Williams and Kelly Oubre Jr. tied for the game high in blocked shots with three apiece.
- Boston tallied 31 assists on 42 made baskets.
- The C's outshot Charlotte from the field 51.2 percent to 42.5 percent.
- Charlotte made four more free throws (21) than Boston attempted (17).
- Tatum and Ball tied for the game high in assists with nine apiece.
- Five Hornets combined to tally 12 steals on the night.
Quote of the Night
Marcus Smart on why the Celtics are rolling