Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from Monday's Celtics-Hornets Game

Jayson Tatum, who registered 51 points, is prominently featured in the top five plays from the Celtics-Hornets matinee on MLK Day.

Bobby Krivitsky

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
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Boston's making a statement on the opening play, along with arguably its best possession of the game, and Jayson Tatum eclipsing 50 points headline the breakdown of the top five plays from Monday's matchup between the Celtics and Hornets on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Celtics Make a Statement with Their Opening Possession

An afternoon start often presents a problem for the Celtics, but Boston got out of the gates quickly in Monday's matinee, evidenced by the game's first possession.

The pitch back to Derrick White coincides with Robert Williams coming up to set a screen that pulls Mason Plumlee away from the rim. With the weak-side corner vacant, there's no one to rotate to protect the basket, and PJ Washington, worried about Al Horford, is late to react.

Jayson Tatum Makes it Look Easy

Bryce McGowens is the last one back after he misses a layup, and with Dennis Smith Jr. picking up the nearest Celtic, Robert Williams, who Mark Williams also heads toward, Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard are open on the right side of the arc.

Sensing McGowens' arrival, Tatum doesn't launch a three, then opts against throwing a lob to the Timelord with Mark Williams camped in the paint.

Instead, he blows by McGowens, takes flight off two feet, and finishes above the rim.

Jayson Tatum Throws the Lob; the Timelord Takes Care of the Rest

As Tatum comes downhill, he utilizes a screen from Marcus Smart and olay defense from LaMelo Ball to get into the paint, drawing Mason Plumlee's attention. That prompts the MVP candidate to loft an underhanded lob to Williams for the flush.

A Possession that Checks Every Box

Arguably Boston's best possession of the game, preceding the start of the clip, the play begins with challenging Charlotte's perimeter defense, getting into the gaps, leading to a clean look at in-rhythm three for Derrick White.

That's where the video above starts, as Luke Kornet keeps the possession alive.

Steve Clifford sends two defenders at Tatum as Jalen McDaniels comes over to double-team him. The Celtics' star dribbles away from the help defender, McDaniels, and goes strong with the ball to avoid getting stripped by Dennis Smith Jr.

With the defense collapsed, Tatum gets the ball to Derrick White in the opposite corner. The latter quickly swings the rock to Malcolm Brogdon for Boston's second clean look of the possession. And despite that not going down either, White retrieves the miss, gets into the paint, and goes at Washington's chest for two points off the glass.

Tatum Eclipses 50 Points

The Celtics turn a stop into an exclamation point on Monday's victory. The sequence above starts with Horford preventing McDaniels from getting to the rim, and Williams switches onto him when Plumlee screens, contesting a short shot that draws iron.

At the other end, Tatum passes on a potential screen from White, bursting downhill, then losing McDaniels when he slams on the breaks. Ball comes to pick him up but goes flying by on the pump fake, and Tatum buries a three that gives him 51 points as he's serenaded by MVP chants.

It's the fifth time in the regular season in his career that he's scored at least 50 points. Doing it on Martin Luther King Jr. Day makes accomplishing that feat on Monday even more special.

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Win vs. the Hornets: Jayson Tatum's 51-Point MLK Day Performance Leads Boston to Seventh-Straight Victory

Jayson Tatum Says Viral Photo of His First Signature Sneaker isn't Real, but He'll Debut Jordan Tatum 1's 'Very, Very Soon'

The Latest on the Celtics' Stars' Injuries

Knicks Reportedly Interested In Trading Wing, Should Celtics Consider Deal?

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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