During this rocky season the Celtics have sometimes followed signs of promise with new low points. But they are almost whole for the first time this season, and over the last two games they have at least shown glimpses of hope.
On Sunday, they took another minor step toward righting this odd year by walloping the Hornets, 116-86. With the victory the Celtics climbed back to .500, at 25-25.
Jayson Tatum had 22 points to lead Boston and Jaylen Brown and Evan Fournier added 17 apiece. The lopsided score allowed Tatum and Brown to watch the entire fourth quarter from the bench. The Celtics made 21 of 54 3-pointers.
The Hornets, who entered the game alone in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, were considerably shorthanded, missing starters Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball, as well as key reserve Malik Monk. Former Celtic Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 22 points. This was the first meeting between these teams this season, and they will play twice more this month.
Observations from the game:
⋅ Rozier had a fast start, drilling a pair of early 3-pointers as his team surged to an early 18-9 lead. But that was mostly where the good vibes ended in the first half for Charlotte. Without their second, third and fifth leading scorers, the Hornets simply didn’t have enough firepower to keep up with the Celtics, who outscored them, 49-25, over the rest of the half. Charlotte entered the night in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, but it certainly feels like a considerable stumble is coming.
⋅ Fournier’s 0-for-10 Celtics debut was just last Monday, but it suddenly seems like ages ago. After drilling six consecutive 3-pointers in Boston’s win over the Rockets on Friday, Fournier connected on all three of his first-half attempts from beyond the arc —including a 4-point play — giving him nine in a row. Coach Brad Stevens mostly laughed off Fournier’s quiet debut, and it appears that this is why.
⋅ Second-year wing Romeo Langford made his long-awaited season debut. Langford missed the first half of the season while recuperating from wrist surgery. He was cleared to return against the Nets on March 11 but then tested positive for COVID-19. He entered the game late in the first quarter and hit his only shot of the first half, a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Langford was also quite disruptive on defense during his five-minute stint. Stevens said before the game that Langford’s playing time will be limited in the near future as he gets back into shape after battling the coronavirus.
⋅ The Celtics’ focus on a long-range attack rolled on in this game. In the first half, Boston attempted 27 3-pointers and 18 two-pointers. The arrival of Fournier will continue to skew this statistic a bit, but it has clearly become an emphasis. Entering the game, the Celtics’ four highest 3-point attempt totals this season had all come since March 21. It had to be an encouraging sign for the Celtics that they took a 58-43 lead to the break despite the fact that Kemba Walker and Tatum combined to go 0 for 12 from beyond the arc. The rest of the team was 10 for 15.
⋅ Boston’s 3-point barrage did not stop in the third quarter. The Celtics were 8 for 14 in the third, including a buzzer-beating attempt by Tatum, and it took a 98-70 lead into the fourth that put Stevens in position to rest his starters.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
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Celtics make easy work of shorthanded Hornets - The Boston Globe
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