The Boston Celtics fumbled a chance at remaining undefeated through seven games, failing to put away the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night to mark the team's most inexcusable loss of the still-early 2023-24 season.
Despite a much-favorable matchup for the Celtics, the Hornets made timely plays when it mattered most. Boston's reserve unit couldn't maintain crucial leads, Jrue Holiday missed two critical free throws in the fourth quarter and Jaylen Brown took a selfish shot in overtime, closing the door.
All that fueled a fired-up reaction from Hornets forward P.J. Washington who, after scoring 15 points off the bench, trolled Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
"Not bad for a Monday night on League Pass," Washington said postgame while heading back to Charlotte's locker room, per Bally Sports video.
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Washington's words were an obvious shot at a conversation Tatum had during a youth basketball training camp in the summer. Boston's star used the Hornets as an example of challenging the load management narrative, regardless of who the Celtics are playing any given night.
"Me, I don't decide, '(Expletive), we playing the Hornets tonight, I'mma chill.' I only get to go to Charlotte two times a year. Somebody paid their money tonight to come watch me play," Tatum explained in July. "I'm not trying to be arrogant. There's a bunch of kids with my shoes and my jersey on. And just because we're playing Charlotte on NBA League Pass on a Monday and ain't nobody (expletive) watching, I'm not like, 'All right, I'm chilling tonight.' That's not what great players do."
Granted, Tatum pulled his weight for the most part.
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The 25-year-old scored a season-high 45 points, but missed the game-tying free-throw attempt in overtime, allowing the Hornets to pull away.
Tatum and the C's will have to wait sometime, however, for their redemption shot, next slated to face the Hornets again in Charlotte on April 1.
Featured image via Sam Sharpe/USA TODAY Sports Images
