There was a whole lot of Zeller on the court Wednesday in Charlotte.
Tyler Zeller squared off against his younger brother, Cody, as the Boston Celtics visited the Hornets, and it was little bro who emerged victorious.
Cody, the 2013 fourth overall pick and an All-Rookie second teamer last season, scored nine points and grabbed a pair of rebounds as his Hornets pulled away late to win 96-87. He’s had his big brother’s number since entering the NBA, winning each of their five matchups.
Tyler did have the more productive evening Monday, however, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes.
— Al Jefferson dominated the Celtics down low, racking up game highs in points (23) and rebounds (14). He was especially beastly during the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of Charlotte’s 23 points in the frame on 5-of-6 shooting.
— Marcus Thornton was highly productive off the bench for the second time in three nights. The reserve guard scored 13 points in the third and 16 overall to keep the Celtics competitive.
“We needed scoring, for sure, and he can get it going,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters after the game. “I’m thankful that he was there. He played well.”
— Evan Turner and Marcus Smart, meanwhile, were nowhere to be seen. Neither player recorded a point in 33 combined minutes after teaming up to score 41 on Monday against the Washington Wizards.
Turner also had to deal with the ignominy of this:
— Rajon Rondo notched his third triple-double of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but he also turned the ball over three times in the fourth quarter. Those giveaways proved costly, as the Celtics managed to score just two points over the final 4:31.
“We did (let an opportunity slip away),” Rondo said, via MassLive.com. “It started with me. I had some key turnovers in the fourth that I should have been able to take better care of the ball. And Kemba Walker had a backdoor play layup. So we’ve got to do better as a team, as a whole. And it starts with myself.”
— Jeff Green (16 points) and Tyler Zeller were two of the Celtics’ more productive offensive players in the loss, but neither took a single shot during the fourth quarter.
Thumbnail photo via Sam Sharpe/USA TODAY Sports Images
