Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has made Charlotte into a second home, and that's not just because he played a few hours down the road at Duke University as a youngster. It's more so due to the fact that the six-time All-Star has repeatedly torched the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. And following a 119-80 drubbing of the Hornets on Friday night, Tatum has now scored at least 30 points in three of his last four outings in the Queen City.
The 2024 NBA champion recorded a game-high 34 points — 1 more than the Hornets' starters had combined — to go along with 9 assists and 8 rebounds in the blowout victory. It only took him three quarters to reach that impressive total, too, as the Celtics led by more than 30 points heading into the final
frame and were able to lean on their reserves the rest of the way.
Tatum aside, practically every Celtic contributed during the NBA Cup duel. Guard Derrick White finished with 18 points on 60 percent shooting, point guard Payton Pritchard added 10 points off the bench, and center Mitchell Robinson notched 7 rebounds in just 15 minutes.
All of these stellar performances helped fuel the 39-point win, which is significant because point differential matters in NBA Cup play. Boston currently sits atop the East Group C standings at 2-0 and is 7-2 overall to start the 2026-27 campaign.
The Celtics will look to carry that momentum on the road and into a Sunday night showdown with the struggling Milwaukee Bucks, who they recently defeated on Wednesday evening at TD Garden.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics exterminate Charlotte Hornets, 119-80, in NBA Cup play
