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By Bryan Colbert Jr.
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Jayson Tatum needed 12 minutes in Charlotte to catch Paul Pierce. By the end of the first quarter Friday night, Tatum had scored 18 points of his own and set up teammates for 12 more.
The Hornets had 20 points altogether.
It was Tatum’s 106th quarter with at least 15 points, tying Pierce for the most in Celtics play-by-play history. Tatum finished with 34 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as Boston opened a four-game road trip with a 119-80 NBA Cup victory.
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Boston had beaten Milwaukee on Wednesday while Tatum took his first rest night of the season.
Back in the lineup Friday, he helped the Celtics build a 21-7 lead. Boston hit four 3-pointers during that stretch, and Charlotte soon had to contend with Tatum going to the basket, too.
Late in the opening quarter, Tatum drove for a layup through contact and converted the free throw. He followed with a 3-pointer, then found Sam Hauser for another from well beyond the arc.
Boston led 40-20 at the end of the period. Tatum had a hand in three of every four Celtics points, and Derrick White already had 10 points of his own.
The Hornets still couldn’t chase Boston off the arc in the second quarter.
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By halftime, the Celtics had made 17 of 31 shots from 3-point range. Charlotte had made just 13 baskets from anywhere on the floor.
Tatum went into the break with 24 points and six assists, White had 18, and Boston led 70-39.
Tatum made all 11 of his free throws, and Payton Pritchard added 12 points off the bench. Naz Reid led Charlotte with 14 on a night the Hornets missed 39 of their 50 attempts from 3-point range and lost their sixth straight game.
The Celtics have won seven of their last eight and are 2-0 in NBA Cup play.
With three games left on the road trip, Tatum needs one more 15-point quarter to break the tie with Pierce.
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