Tatum’s 45 not enough as Hornets top Celtics in overtime 121-118

Boston’s defense made things more difficult than necessary. This was especially true in the second half. As the Celtics struggled to score, the Hornets took advantage of hot shooting and open looks. In the fourth quarter in particular this was especially true, and Charlotte looked faster and more composed with the game on the line.

For example, the Hornets grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. Charlotte is a young, athletic team that likes to push the pace, and this led to plenty of extra looks for the home team. LaMelo Ball in particular thrived in this paradigm, scoring 36 points to go with 9 rebounds and 8 assists.

Boston was without Al Horford and Derrick White in this one. Even the best teams look a little different with their core players out of the lineup. That said, this is another instance where the Celtics lacked composure when the going got tough, unraveling what ought to have been an easy enough path to victory.