Jayson Tatum looked like an MVP candidate and was the best player on the court in Charlotte Monday — 31 points and nine rebounds even before halftime. But even while he was doing all that, LaMelo Ball was putting on a show for the home fans and keeping his team close.
As the game wore on, the fact that the Celtics were playing the second night of a road back-to-back and their third game in four nights started to catch up with them. Still, Boston led by nine with two minutes left thanks to a monster night from Tatum.
Jayson Tatum has passed Tom Heinsohn for the 2nd most games in Celtics franchise history with 40+ points and 10+ rebounds:
Larry Bird (29)
Jayson Tatum (8)
Tom Heinsohn (7) https://t.co/7SUbCAOw3b— NBA History (@NBAHistory) November 21, 2023
It wasn’t enough, some questionable decisions — why did Joe Mazzulla pull Kristaps Porzingis? — and missed shots opened the door for a Hornets comeback, and Ball forced OT.
In the end, Ball finished with 36 points and the Hornets got the much needed upset win.