Here’s What Stood Out in Celtics’ Win vs. Hornets: Derrick White’s Career Night Helps Boston Blow by Charlotte
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Derrick White stole the show in the first half of Friday’s 123-113 win over the Hornets, erupting for 26 points, knocking down seven threes, starting 6/6 from beyond the arc. He also dished out ten assists. According to Celtics’ in-house reporter Taylor Snow, White tied the franchise record for made threes in a first half.
And Mike Muscala, making his Boston debut a day after the Celtics traded for him, took eight shots, all threes, and drilled half of them, finishing with 12 points in 16 minutes. Muscala’s plus-five plus-minus rating reflects him also playing well defensively, especially in drop coverage against the pick-and-roll.
And while White was the star of the first half, Jayson Tatum took center stage in the second, generating 23 of his game-high 41 points. The four-time All-Star also registered four rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
Only two other players, LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier, reached double-figures in the second half. The fact that the only other players to do so were on Charlotte is a testament to Boston losing focus after its advantage grew as large as 28.
The hosts committed ten turnovers, leading to 17 points for the Hornets. The tax for that was Tatum and the team’s top rotation players still being on the floor in the game’s final minute.
But when the better team does an outstanding job moving the ball and attacking Charlotte’s defense, consistently creating high-quality shots, and defends the arc as well as the Celtics did Friday, it makes it that much harder for the opposition to pair its points off turnovers with the necessary added ingredient to pull off an upset.
With Boston assisting on 34/44 field goals, shooting 49.4 percent from the field, including 25/55 (45.5 percent) from beyond the arc while limiting the visitors to 8/23 (34.8 percent) on threes, the Hornets never truly threatened to leave TD Garden with a victory.
Now, a deep dive into what stood out in each quarter of the Celtics’ 127-116 win.
Hornets Can’t Keep Up in First Frame
The Celtics played with tremendous energy throughout the first frame. They consistently attacked Charlotte’s perimeter defenders, resulting in drives that had the Hornets’ defense scrambling, and they pushed off makes.
Boston staying active also applied to its effort defensively, limiting the visitors to 24 points in the first frame.
With pick-and-rolls stifled and scram switches perfectly executed to deny Charlotte any advantages, the hosts held their guests to 40.9 percent shooting, and they only allowed the Hornets to attempt five threes.
Conversely, the Celtics’ tempo, ball movement, and relentless attack of an uninspired defense led to eight assists on 11 field goals. Boston shot 45.8 percent from the floor, including 5/12 (41.7 percent) from beyond the arc. The hosts also produced ten points in the paint to the Hornets’ six.
And at the 3:30 mark, Mike Muscala made his Celtics debut. Interestingly enough, his first shift in Boston came alongside Blake Griffin.
The two played together for the remainder of the quarter, and the hosts outscored the visitors 12-5. That included Muscala burying his first shot as a Celtic.
And as Muscala’s plus-seven plus-minus rating suggests, he also played effectively on defense, often utilizing drop coverage, from which his length, IQ, and mobility allowed him to keep drives in front of him.
Jayson Tatum led all participants with ten points in the opening period. The four-time All-Star was the only player who scored in double-figures. Derrick White contributed eight points on 3/3 shooting.
Pregame, Brad Stevens acknowledged the importance of pacing Tatum during the remainder of the campaign, but the latter played the entire first quarter.
Second Quarter Even More Lopsided
Derrick White stole the show in the second frame. He erupted for 18 points in the period, starting 8/8, including 6/6 from beyond the arc for the game.
He entered halftime with 26 points on nine of 11 shooting, making 7/9 on threes, nearly matching what’s soon to be his previous regular-season career-high of 29 points. As stated in the introduction, according to Celtics’ in-house reporter Taylor Snow, White tied the franchise record for made threes in a first half.
And with Tatum chipping in eight points, giving him 18 for the half, Boston outscored Charlotte 39-29 in the second quarter, taking a 71-53 advantage into the break.
The Hornets’ effort on the offensive glass turned seven offensive rebounds into ten second-chance points. But Boston’s limiting the visitors to 4/11 (36.4 percent) from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes while shooting 52.2 percent from the field, knocking down 16/31 (51.6 percent) from beyond the arc, made it impossible for the less talented team to keep pace.
Celtics Lose Focus After Lead Grows to Nearly 30 in Third Quarter
White missed his first two shots of the third quarter, but with 8:48 remaining, he gathered a feed from Sam Hauser in the left corner and buried a three, giving him 29 points, matching his regular-season career-high.
But while White stole the show in the second frame, Tatum took over the third. The Celtics star produced ten points on 4/6 shooting. Again, playing an entire period, Tatum was the only player on either side to score in double-figures.
But with the lead growing as large as 28, the hosts lost focus, committing seven turnovers, resulting in 11 of the Hornets’ 28 points in the period. Conversely, the visitors did not have any giveaways.
While Charlotte outscored Boston 28-26 in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 97-81, the Celtics still did well to hold the Hornets under 30 in the frame.
Still, those turnovers mean more minutes for the team’s top rotation players in a fourth quarter that at least Tatum could have otherwise taken off.
Tatum Leads Celtics’ Close Out Effort in Final Frame
Turnover’s continued to plague the Celtics on the first possession of the fourth quarter as White got stripped by Dennis Smith Jr., leading to LaMelo Ball tossing an alley-oop to Smith. That narrowed the gap to 97-83.
But three-straight threes, with Sam Hauser, Muscala, and Griffin burying one, helped the hosts extend their advantage to 108-89 with 9:01 to go.
Not that the outcome ever felt in doubt, but a pair of threes from Tatum, as Grant Williams found him for a three from the left wing, then he buried a pull-up from the opposite wing, giving Boston a 116-101 lead with 3:11 remaining, it brought more certainty to the outcome.
A pair of layups from Tatum and Payton Pritchard helped the Celtics put the final touches on their 127-116 win.
Up Next
The Celtics host Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. The game tips off at 2:00 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Brad Stevens Discusses What Mike Muscala Brings to the Celtics
Celtics Reportedly ‘Engaged’ with Several Potential Buyout Candidates
Celtics Reportedly Missed Out on ‘Top Choice’ Big Man Leading to Deal for Mike Muscala
Examining Potential Options for the Celtics on the Buyout Market
Celtics Add Shooting, Center Depth in Trade for Mike Muscala
The Latest on Jaylen Brown’s Facial Fracture and How Long He Might Be Out
1:1 with Paul Pierce on What the Celtics-Lakers Rivalry Means to Him; Jayson Tatum’s Growth, His Evaluation of Boston’s Season, and More