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Boston Celtics

Celtics Beat Hornets 102-91 Off Irving’s 21 Points

Matt Dolloff December 27th, 2017
Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Here’s your Celtics-Hornets recap as the C’s returned to form on Wednesday night with a 102-91 win over Charlotte at Spectrum Arena. Kyrie Irving led the way for Boston with 21 points, while Al Horford scored 20 of his own.

The C’s took a 60-44 lead into halftime with a dominant first two quarters. As a team they shot 52.6 percent, compared to just 35.4 percent for the Hornets. The Celtics also went 11-for-18 from three-point range in the first half.

The Hornets came storming back in the third quarter, however. They out-scored the C’s 31-16 to cut their lead to 76-75 after 36 minutes. But that’s when impressive rookie Jayson Tatum took over.

Tatum scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, going 3-for-4 shooting and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. The 19-year-old added five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks to go with his scoring.

Irving posted 20-plus points for the ninth straight game. He’s averaging 27.4 points per game over his last nine.

Celtics-Hornets: By The Numbers

— Shane Larkin contributed three of the Celtics’ 15 three-pointers and finished with 11 points off the bench. It’s the second time this season he’s made at least three shots from long range, the other being Dec. 6 against the Mavericks.

— Additionally, Al Horford’s four three-pointers tied his own season-high. The big man’s 20 points represented his highest output since Dec. 15 against the Jazz. He averaged 11.2 points in his previous six games.

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— The Hornets’ Kemba Walker scored 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting as the lone bright spot in the Hornets’ poor first half. The rest of the team: 31 points, 12-for-37 (32.4 percent).

— Tatum (6-for-12 from the field) shot 50 percent or better for the fifth time in his last seven games.

Celtics-Hornets: Jayson Tatum scored 18 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Jayson Tatum (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Celtics-Hornets: What’s Next?

The C’s complete a back-to-back when they head back to Boston on Thursday night to face the Houston Rockets at TD Garden. They’re now 2-0 against the Hornets and face them one more time on Feb. 28 in Boston.

Brad Stevens described a day-to-day approach with the injured Jaylen Brown, so sat out on Wednesday night but has yet to be ruled out for Celtics-Rockets on Thursday.

— By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com

Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff.

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