The host Boston Celtics took down the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden on Monday, 108 - 98. Boston (26 - 15) is now 13 - 3 in its last 16 contests and has seen star point guard Isaiah Thomas ascend to a new level through his recent play. Thomas leads the NBA in scoring in the fourth quarter and posted another big final 12 minutes on Monday, scoring 17 points in the fourth to give him 35 on the night. The All-Star drained seven three - pointers and had five rebounds and four assists in what was yet another astounding night for the Celtics' star. While the game was close throughout, Boston held the lead from the second quarter and on, never allowing Charlotte to regain control of the game. A big part of the Celtics' success was All-Star center Al Horford, who quietly scored 22 points while pulling in six rebounds. Off the bench, center Kelly Olynyk came through for 15 points and nine rebounds after an extremely strong 26 - point outing in Atlanta on Friday. The Celtics also saw the return of injured shooting guard Avery Bradley, who had missed the previous week of play with an achilles injury. Bradley appeared rusty, however, going for just five points on 2 - of - 9 shooting and committing a pair of costly turnovers. Charlotte (20 - 21) fell to 0 - 5 on its road trip with Monday's loss. The team has struggled mightily after a strong 6 - 1 start to the season. Monday, however, showed some promise, as the Hornets were able to hold close to the surging Celtics. Star point guard Kemba Walker led the team with 24 points while adding four rebounds. Shooting guard Nicolas Batum was a key factor in almost every element, playing tough defense and narrowly missing a triple - double. Batum finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Big man Marvin Williams caused problems for the Boston frontcourt with his athletic scoring touch, finishing the night with 21 points. The Celtics will host the Knicks on Wednesday, while the Hornets will host the Trail Blazers.
["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 15 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 21 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 26 Wins ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 21 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 21 Assists ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 10 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 24 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 22 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 9 Assists ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 35 Assists ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Kelly Olynyk') has 15 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ."]