Jaylen Brown scored 38 points (21 on 7 3-pointers), and the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 120-111.
The Celtics took control with an 18-4 run in the first quarter and led by as many as 20.
The Hornets got within 99-96 on Terry Rozier’s 28-foot 3-pointer with 7:23 to play, but Aaron Nesmith answered with a corner 3-pointer, and the Hornets got no closer than 102-98.
Jayson Tatum had 35 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. The Celtics had 2 30-point scorers. Brown and Tatum set each other up for 7 baskets and 18 points, 2 of them in the fourth quarter.
For the Hornets, Devonte' Graham had 25 points (17 in the third quarter) and 7 assists, and Rozier went 1 for 8 from 3. Cody Zeller scored 16 points on 6 for 9 shooting off the bench.
The Celtics shot 47.8% from the field and 37.5% from 3 to the Hornets’ 42.5% and 37.1%. The Hornets gave up 19 offensive rebounds, about 9 more than usual for the shots the Celtics missed.