The Celtics storm back late in a 140-129 OT win over the Hornets

The Celtics’ second road win in as many games came about as differently from the first as possible. After cruising to a blowout victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, Boston finished up their first back-to-back of by winning a 140-129 OT thriller over the Hornets in Charlotte.

The teams traded blows early, with Charlotte throwing the first punch by jumping out to a 27-17 lead. Without Al Horford, the Celtics frontline saw new faces get playing time, including Jabari Parker. Parker changed the first quarter by providing instant offense off the bench, finishing with 11 points in the opening stanza alone.

After Parker’s offense brought the Celtics back, no team was able to gain significant separation until early in the fourth quarter. A Jalen McDaniels three-pointer with 6:27 left capped off a 12-2 Charlotte burst to give the Hornets a 113-102 lead.

At that moment, Jayson Tatum re-entered the game for Boston, and momentum quickly swung towards the Celtics. Behind Jaylen Brown, Tatum, Marcus Smart’s defense, and Celtics head coach Ime Udoka intentionall fouling 22% free-throw shooter Mason Plumlee, Boston inched their way back.

After the two teams traded missed threes while tied at 122, it was the Hornets with the basketball and the shot clock turned off. Smart, however, had other ideas. Out of the timeout, the Celtics guard stole the inbounds pass and gave Boston a chance to win it with 8 seconds left. The Celtics were unable to get a clear look at the rim, and the game headed to overtime.

After Boston fell behind 129-126 with just over two minutes remaining, a Dennis Schroeder three followed by a Brown three gave the Celtics a 132-129 lead they would never give up.

As the Celtics improved to 2-2 on the year as a team, here is a look at how they performed on an individual level:

Jayson Tatum

Oct 25, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) goes up for a layup past Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards (14) during the first period at the Spectrum Center. Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The moment Tatum checked back into the fourth quarter, the Boston run began. That was no accident, as the 2021 NBA All-Star went 14-28 from the field and scored a season-high 41 points in the Celtics’ win.

Tatum went 7-7 from the free-throw line, including two massive free throws to tie the game late in regulation. It was a mid-range masterclass and a three-point barrage for the Duke product on Monday night to lead the Celtics.

Robert Williams III

Oct 25, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III (44) tries to block a shot by Charlotte Hornets guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) during overtime at the Spectrum Center. Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Williams finished the night with a game-high 16 rebounds to go along with 12 points and a trio of blocks. The Celtics big man was relied upon even more than usual with Al Horford out, and he was up to the challenge defensively.

Williams also had a massive dunk off of a Tatum lob to give Boston a 120-119 lead with under two minutes left in regulation.

Marcus Smart

Charlotte Hornets guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) brings the ball upcourt while guarded by Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Smart’s offensive line may not look pretty, but as Boston fans have grown accustomed to he made the biggest defensive play of the night late to steal away Charlotte’s chance at a win.

The Celtics guard went 3-12 from the field and just 1-9 from three, but his steal with 13 seconds left in a tie game prevented the Hornets from taking the final shot of regulation.

Dennis Schroder

Oct 25, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Boston Celtics guard Dennis Schroder (71) during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

It was a solid overall night for Schroder, who finished with 23 points on 6-14 from the field. A massive three from the German tied the game at 129 in overtime, and changed the momentum of the extra session. Schroder went 4-9 from three on the evening and 7-8 from the line.

Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dunks the ball over Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) during overtime of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

It was a fantastic return to action for Brown, who sat the front end of the back-to-back in Houston.

The Cal product finished with an efficient 30 points on 12-20 from the field, and his third and final made three gave Boston a definitive 132-129 lead in overtime. Brown also had an early candidate for dunk of the year, as Miles Bridges got a taste of his own medicine.

Jabari Parker

Oct 25, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Ish Smith (10) shoots the ball over Boston Celtics forward Jabari Parker (20) during the first period at the Spectrum Center. Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Late in the opening quarter, Parker got his first action of the young season. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact, as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft scored 11 points in just over three minutes to bring the Celtics back from a ten-point deficit.

Parker finished with 13 points on 3-4 from three-point range.

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