Hornets get another win against the Celtics after a heated duel

Despite tense moments between the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets during parts of their Friday night game, there was plenty of love on display afterwards.

The two teams meet on Saturday evening for a rematch, also taking place in Charlotte.

Many of the Celtics know Hornets coach Charles Lee well. Last season, he was an assistant coach for Boston when the Celtics won the NBA title.

“I think he definitely has a lot on his plate,” Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said, “but I think he handles it with grace. I wish him all the best, just not in (this series).”

Jayson Tatum had 32 points and 11 rebounds as the Celtics won 124-109 on Friday. Lee exchanged a hug with several Celtics on the court after the final buzzer.

Now the Hornets have to try to break through against the Celtics two nights in a row.

Charlotte's Grant Williams and Miles Bridges were both sent off Friday night, and the Hornets' LaMelo Ball was also whistled for a flagrant foul. Williams' foul on Tatum could have led to bigger problems.

“I’m glad he’s OK,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said of Tatum. “What I like best is that he jumped up straight away, didn't lie around and didn't really worry him. …I'm glad he's okay. I just like how JT handled it.”

Still, the Celtics were upset with Williams — who played for Boston from 2019-20 to 2022-23.

“It was certainly intentional,” Brown said. “Do you all see the same game? He hit him like it was a football game, like Ray Lewis was coming across the middle.”

Williams told NBC Sports Boston: “Probably not a serious foul, definitely not intentional. I'm not trying to hurt anyone. We all know that’s one of my closest friends in the league.”

Lee has a close connection to Mazzulla, which may have helped prevent major problems.

“He’s just so open-minded, so creative,” Lee said of Mazzulla. “He just lets his courage down. If it's something he believes in, something he believes will help the team, then he does it with passion. I really admire that about him. This is something I'm trying to do myself.”

The Celtics responded to their first loss of the season by winning two nights later in Charlotte. They outscored the Hornets 24-10 in the final 7 1/2 minutes, with 15 of those Boston points coming on free throws.

Lee was assessed a technical foul in the fourth quarter after he complained about a no-call when Charlotte's Tre Mann drove into the lane.

Maybe it was part of the Hornets' frustration. At the end of the game there were 47 free throws, but only 12 of them were made by the Hornets.

A technical foul was assessed against Mazzulla early in the fourth quarter with the Celtics ahead by one point.

The Hornets had to like the performance of Ball, who scored 31 points in 31 minutes despite picking up a foul. His four turnovers weren't particularly problematic, but he only had four assists.

The Hornets will be interested in seeing more from Tidjane Salaun, a 19-year-old rookie who scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench Friday night.

“I loved his energy tonight, I thought he gave us a big boost,” Lee said. “He captures the speed of the game. … I really like him out there because he brings another level of length and athleticism.”

The Celtics will want to check their perimeter defense after making 19 3-point shots. Six Charlotte players had two or more treys.

–Field level media