CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Hornets reportedly reminded Jayson Tatum that they had five professional basketball players on the court Friday night, an observation that appeared to have absolutely no effect on the Celtics superstar.
“There are five of us,” a fictional Charlotte spokesperson explained. “That's five people. He's one person. We feel this should matter.”
Unfortunately, it did not.
Tatum scored 18 points in the opening quarter, personally outscoring Charlotte's entire starting five, which managed just 16.
The Hornets had entered the game operating under the traditional assumption that five NBA players should collectively be capable of accomplishing more than one NBA player.
By halftime, that assumption was undergoing significant internal review.
Boston led 70–39 after two quarters and eventually won 119–80, hitting 24 three-pointers in a performance that suggested the Celtics were competing against a team that had recently discovered basketball.
Tatum finished with 34 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists in just 29 minutes.
Charlotte's coaching staff reportedly considered assigning a sixth defender to Tatum before being reminded that this would violate NBA regulations.
The Hornets then explored whether Boston could voluntarily remove four players to make the matchup more competitive.
That proposal was also unsuccessful.
Tatum eventually sat out the fourth quarter, providing Charlotte with its first meaningful defensive adjustment of the evening.
The Hornets have requested clarification from the league on whether having five players is supposed to provide a mathematical advantage.
NBA officials are reportedly reviewing the evidence.
Early findings suggest the number of players was never the problem.
