CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Jayson Tatum had 34 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Derrick White added 18 points, and the Boston Celtics demolished the Charlotte Hornets, 119-80, on Friday (Saturday in Manila) for their seventh win in eight games.
Boston shot 17 of 31 from three-point range in the first half to build a 31-point lead and improved to 2-0 in NBA Cup play. The Hornets fell to 0-2.
Naz Reid had 14 points for Charlotte, which has lost six straight since coach Charles Lee benched Reid — the team’s biggest offseason acquisition — in the second half of a game against the Detroit Pistons because he did not meet “team standards.”
This one was over early.
Tatum erupted for 18 points in the first quarter on three 3s and White added 10 as the Celtics bolted to a 40-20 lead. Boston made 9 of 17 3s in the first quarter.
Charlotte couldn’t do anything right.
The Hornets shot 28 percent from the field in the opening half while turning the ball over eight times.
Tatum remained in the game until the final minute of the third quarter with Boston up 42 as the Celtics padded their point differential numbers for the NBA Cup.
He drew “MVP!” chants from the pro-Celtics crowd after drawing what appeared to be a shooting foul as he swished a 3 from 33 feet. But the basket was waived off after officials ruled the foul was on the floor.
The Hornets played without starters Kon Knueppel and Moussa Diabate, and Brandon Miller left the game in the second quarter with right groin soreness and did not return.
Miller was 3 of 10 from the field with eight points before departing and appeared frustrated at times in the first half as Boston pressured him relentlessly.
Lee did not offer a timetable for Knueppel’s return after last year’s NBA rookie of the year runner-up reinjured his hamstring on Wednesday night at Brooklyn. It was Knueppel’s first game of the season.
In Atlanta, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 28 points, and the Atlanta Hawks held off the Washington Wizards, 139-132, in an NBA Cup game.
It was the third straight win for the Hawks and second straight against the Wizards, as Atlanta swept the home-and-home series.
Trae Young had 23 points, 10 assists and a season-high eight turnovers in his first game in Atlanta as a visitor after being traded last season after seven-plus years with the Hawks.
Lu Dort had 25 points, including a crucial shot clock-beating corner jumper late in the fourth quarter. Onyeka Okongwu scored 22 points and Aaron Wiggins added 19 points off the bench for Atlanta. Dyson Daniels guarded Young for much of the game and finished with 13 points and 12 assists.
