Jayson Tatum Scores 34 as Celtics Rout Hornets

Jayson Tatum and Paul George opened Friday night with back-to-back 3-pointers, and the Charlotte Hornets never recovered. Tatum scored 34 points with nine assists and eight rebounds in just 29 minutes as the Boston Celtics demolished Charlotte 119-80 at Spectrum Center in NBA Cup play, per the Associated Press. He did not play the fourth quarter.

Point differential is a tiebreaker in NBA Cup group play, so the margin mattered. Boston is 2-0 in the Cup and plus-53 through two games, and the win was its seventh in eight games overall. Charlotte fell to 0-2 in the Cup and lost its sixth straight.

Tatum’s 18-Point First Quarter

Tatum scored 18 in the first quarter, tying his career high for an opening frame, and outscored the entire Hornets starting five by himself, 18-16, Celtics.com reported. Boston led 40-20 after one and 70-39 at halftime. The Celtics made 17 3-pointers in the first half, which tied a franchise record, and the lead eventually reached 46.

Boston had nine 3-pointers before Charlotte had nine total field goals. Tatum’s line was clean all the way through: 9-for-16 from the field, 5-for-8 from three, and 11-for-11 at the line. He led the game in scoring and assists, finished plus-36, and never needed to check back in. He sat Wednesday against Milwaukee as part of a designed rest night and looked fully fresh in Charlotte.

Boston Shot It, Charlotte Did Not

Derrick White scored all 18 of his points in the first half, and Payton Pritchard added 12 off the bench. Boston finished 24-for-44 from three, a season high.

Charlotte was badly short-handed. Kon Knueppel, Moussa Diabate, Dennis Schroder, and Grant Williams were all out, so the Hornets started Grayson Allen and Ryan Kalkbrenner for the first time this season. It got worse when Brandon Miller left in the second quarter with right groin soreness after scoring eight points. The Hornets shot 29 percent from the floor and 11-for-50 from three. Naz Reid led them with 14.

Celtics at Bucks Sunday

Boston goes to Milwaukee on Sunday, the same opponent Tatum sat out against on Wednesday. Charlotte hosts Cleveland on Monday and will be waiting on word about Miller’s groin.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on Jayson Tatum assists at Milwaukee. He had a game-high nine in 29 minutes Friday, plus four assists in the first quarter alone. If Boston gives him another rest night against the Bucks, move the play to Derrick White threes, since White hit four 3-pointers in the first half Friday.