Everybody in the basketball world knows Jayson Tatum can score. But it is his work on the defensive end that has Boston coach Joe Mazzulla smiling ahead of the Celtics' visit to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Sunday.
This summer, the Boston Celtics made a highly polarizing trade when they sent Jaylen Brown to their Atlantic Division rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers, in exchange for Paul George and draft picks.
Despite being hundreds of miles away from Boston, Jayson Tatum had no trouble feeling at ease in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday night. For a moment, the Spectrum Center even began to sound like TD Garden.
Maybe it was because it was an NBA Cup game. Maybe it was because Jayson Tatum was visiting his old stomping grounds. Maybe it was because the Celtics caught fire from 3.
Friday’s win over the Hornets was every Celtics fans’ dream. Boston took an early lead and instead of letting Charlotte back into the game, they continued put the beatdown on the Hornets until they were up by as many as 46 points.
Who is the X factor for every NBA player this season? We’re not talking about the go-to guy, like Nikola Jokic or Steph Curry. It could be a big-name player, an all-star, or a bench player, but they are the pivot point for their team.
Jayson Tatum scored 34 points in three quarters Friday. The Hornets probably would have preferred that he stick to shooting. He also handed out nine assists, giving the Celtics the kind of offensive direction that matters well beyond a blowout against a struggling opponent.
CHARLOTTE — Early in the third quarter of the Celtics’ 119-80 win over the Charlotte Hornets, Joe Mazzulla called a timeout and walked over to Neemias Queta.
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics were firing on all cylinders against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, and head coach Joe Mazzulla had nothing but praise for his star forward’s shot selection.
Well-rested Jayson Tatum tallied 34 points in a stellar outing as the Boston Celtics blew out the host Charlotte Hornets 119-80 on Friday night. Derrick White notched 18 points and Payton Pritchard came off the bench to score 12 points for the Celtics, who were buoyed by a 40-point first quarter.
Typically, the path to the NBA for most players is to spend at least a season in college to get high-level basketball and important development under their belts.
The Boston Celtics continue their NBA Cup group schedule Friday in Charlotte. The Hornets have lost five straight, and are dealing with a bunch of injuries. Records: Celtics 6-2 (5-0 home, 1-2 road); Hornets 3-6 (2-3 home, 1-3 road) Tip-off: 7:00 p.m.
CHARLOTTE — Jordan Walsh isn’t thrilled with his start to the season. The 22-year-old has played double-digit minutes in every game and has been tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best players, as is customary.
Hours before the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks faced off Wednesday night, Luka Garza was already getting to work. He joined the team’s Stay Ready crew, warming up alongside Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Walsh while his father, Frank, watched from courtside near the baseline.
The Boston Celtics have started the season strong, and it’s been with the help of some of the new players on the team. Paul George has come in and fit into his role well, and the pairing of him and Jayson Tatum has been seamless so far.
A personal commitment from longtime Celtics minority owner Rob Hale helped spark one of the largest philanthropic efforts in Boston sports history. Hale
The Boston Celtics visit the Charlotte Hornets at 7 p.m. EST Friday in an NBA Cup group-stage game in Charlotte. Boston is 6-2 and ranks third in the Eastern Conference.
The Boston Celtics were without Jayson Tatum for their Wednesday night contest against the Milwaukee Bucks — with Tatum getting the day off for rest purposes.
Former NBA big man Chris Boucher is joining the Shanghai Sharks, according to Chinese basketball reporter Zhang Duo (Twitter link) and the Chinese Basketball Association (Instagram link).
The Boston Celtics came away with a 125-111 victory over the Chicago Bulls, using a standout scoring performance from Payton Pritchard and a strong all-around contribution from Jayson Tatum to secure their fourth win of the season.
Boston’s basketball history includes decades of championship banners, but the franchise’s business story took a new turn when Wyc Grousbeck led a group of investors into ownership.
The Celtics have exercised their rookie scale team options on wings Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez for the 2027/28 season, per RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions.
Joe Mazzulla has found another way to review his work. Basically, he’s asking artificial intelligence whether he spent practice doing what he said the Celtics needed to do.
Devin Carter has rejoined the Celtics after a bout of mononucleosis had kept him sidelined for the start of the season, Bobby Manning reports for CLNS Media (via Twitter).
The defending champion New York Knicks have lost their first three games of the season by 19 total points. It hasn't helped that their starting small forward has put up only 10 points all season.