If you caught Boston’s 54th win of the season on TV or at TD Garden, you would have thought it was a playoff game. The scrappy Hornets have been one of the best second half of the season teams and could knock off a contender in the first round. But after leading by as many as 11 points in the first half, they could not withstand a strong offensive showing from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and the Celtics suffocating D that allowed a dismal 3-of-18 from behind the arc in the second half.
After beating
the Hornets, one win or a Knicks loss clinches the #2 seed for the Celtics; the two teams meet at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Boston’s championship odds have remained steady all month with our friends at FanDuel and are +600 to raise Banner 19 and the favorite to rep the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA Finals.
Jaylen Brown
43 minutes, 26 points (3-10 from 3, 6-7 from the free throw line, 13-29 from the field), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers, one steal, one block +9
We can quibble about what MVP means. Is it the most important player on each team and how much he means to their success or is it the best player in the league regardless of his team’s standing? Is offense more important than defense or vice versa?
Regardless of the debate, what Jaylen Brown did on Tuesday night against the Hornets was the stuff of an MVP candidate.
We’ve noted that over the past few weeks since Tatum’s return, Brown has made it a priority to drive and often force the officials to make a call. Just as they did against Toronto on Sunday, the Jays carried the scoring burden with JB scoring 17 of his 35 points in the second half. He had his issues with five turnovers, but probably deserved more than seven trips to the line.
Grade: A-
Jayson Tatum
39 minutes, 23 points (3-7 from 3, 4-5 from the free throw line, 8-15 from the field), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, one steal, +12
At Game #15 for Tatum, it feels like he’s good for 20+ points, five rebounds, and five assists every night. That’s the floor. He didn’t get close to recording a triple-double, but the bigger number of the night might be JT playing all twelve minutes of the fourth quarter along with Brown, DWhite, and Payton Pritchard.
Oh, and he got tangled up in a scrap with Moussa Diabate and didn’t flinch.
Grade: A-
Neemias Queta
25 minutes, 12 points (6-7 from the field), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, one block, +10
We’re now at 36-of-48 for Queta over the last five games with all five of his offensive rebounds resulting in his own putbacks.
Grade: A
Sam Hauser
16 minutes, 5 points (1-5 from 3, 2-7 from the field), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, +4
It was another one of those nights where Hauser wasn’t hitting the simple catch-and-shoot corner threes, but he was active on the glass and made the right reads when he couldn’t get his shot off.
Grade: B
Derrick White
37 minutes, 12 points (4-5 from 3, 4—5 from the field), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, one turnover, one steal, +18
It’s hard to fault White for an ultra-efficient scoring night, making four of his five three-point attempts. He’s still making all the right plays on both sides of the ball, but I’d love to see one breakout game before the playoffs.
Grade: B-
Payton Pritchard
30 minutes, 12 points (4-7 from 3, 4-8 from the field), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, +5
Like White, Pritchard took most of his shots from behind the arc. He played his regular shifts through the first three quarters, but as aforementioned, he was in there in the clutch and played the entire final frame.
Grade: B+
Nikola Vucevic
23 minutes, 2 points (0-5 from 3, 1-10 from the field) 7 rebounds, 2 assists, one turnover, 2 steals, +1
That 1-10 is going to stick out like a sore thumb, but let’s remember that he’s not only coming back from a long layoff with the fractured finger — he’d also only played twelve games in green. We know what we’re going to get from the 14-year pro. Expect more trial by fire over the final three contests.
Grade: C
Baylor Scheierman
9 minutes, 3 points (1—2 from 3, 1-2 from the field), 2 rebounds, one assist, -1
My guess is that with Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard, and even Vucevic playing nearly the entire fourth — Queta mopped up the final 90 seconds — not all of them will travel to New York.
That’s Scheierman music.
Grade: B
Jordan Walsh
18 minutes, 9 points (1-1 from 3, 4-4 from the field), 6 rebounds, one steal, one turnover -3
Of all the backup wings, Walsh might be the best equipped to take advantage of all the seams that open up when you’re playing with so many talented players. Against Charlotte, he found space catching the ball in the short roll, hiding in the dunker spot, and leaking out into transition. That x-factor could be huge in the playoffs.
Grade: A
DNP-CDs: Luka Garza, Hugo Gonzalez, Ron Harper Jr., Max Shulga, John Tonje, Amari Williams
