On Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics hosted the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden but suffered a stunning blowout loss, falling 118-89.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, shooting 7-of-19 from the field and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc in 34 minutes of action.
Embed X: https://twitter.com/CelticsCLNS/status/2029405506406642084
After the game, Brown met with the media and delivered a brutally honest self-assessment (h/t Celtics on CLNS). In just nine words, he took full ownership: “My energy wasn’t good enough tonight…I take accountability.”
The full quote from Brown: “I didn’t feel my best tonight. My energy wasn’t good enough to motivate my teammates… I take accountability.”
This candid admission highlighted Brown’s leadership, even in defeat.
Despite the setback, Brown and the Celtics have enjoyed a stellar season overall. Brown is averaging 28.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, shooting 48.0% from the field and 34.8% from three-point range across 55 games.
The Celtics hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a 41-21 record through 62 games, including a 20-10 mark at home. They’ll look to bounce back on Friday when they host the Dallas Mavericks in Boston.
Brown has emerged as a key leader for the team and is even in the conversation for the 2026 MVP award. Selected third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft out of California, he earned Finals MVP honors in 2024 when the Celtics defeated the Mavericks to claim the championship.
On the other side, the Charlotte Hornets continued their surprising surge. Led by LaMelo Ball, they improved to 32-31 on the season, securing the ninth seed in the East after 63 games.
This victory marked a historic achievement for the Hornets, as noted by NBA History: “The Charlotte Hornets have defeated each of the previous three NBA champions by 20 or more points this season. They beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-97 on January 5, the Denver Nuggets 110-87 on January 18, and the Boston Celtics 118-89 tonight.
This makes the Hornets just the fourth team in NBA history to beat the last three reigning champions by 20+ points each in the same season — and the first to do so in over 60 years.
They join: ▪️ 1958-59 Syracuse Nationals ▪️ 1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons ▪️ 1949-50 Rochester Royals”
The Hornets, who last reached the playoffs in 2016, will host the Miami Heat on Friday in their next matchup.