BOSTON — Jayson Tatum scored 35 points, Marcus Smart had 22 points and a career-high 15 assists and the Boston Celtics jumped to a 27-point, first-quarter lead and beat the Charlotte Hornets 140-105 on Monday night.
It was the ninth straight win at home and the 13th in 14 games for the reigning Eastern Conference champions, who have the best record in the NBA.
Malcolm Brogdon had 21 points, six assists and five rebounds, while Derrick White had 15 points and six assists. Blake Griffin scored a season-high nine points for Boston.
Jalen McDaniels scored 24 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 22 for the Hornets, who lost for the 12th time in 15 games.
The Celtics put the game away in the first quarter.
It was 19-12 when Boston scored 24 of the next 28 points, hitting six straight 3-pointers to pull ahead. Tatum had 16 points in the quarter, Smart had 10 points and eight assists and Brogdon scored 10. Boston shot 73% from the field, making 10 of 15 from 3-point range.
Charlotte — which was without LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, Dennis Smith Jr. and Cody Martin — missed all six 3-point attempts in the quarter.
The Hornets host Washington on Friday.
