On the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics labored, and Jaylen Brown prevented Boston from slipping by with another victory.

On Monday at Spectrum Center, Charlotte challenged the C’s in a game Boston was without Derrick White and Al Horford. To remain in the game with LaMelo Ball and the Hornets, Jayson Tatum scored 45 points, but a missed three-pointer by Sam Hauser forced overtime.

With 30 seconds remaining, the Hornets maintained their lead over the Celtics, but Boston had a golden opportunity to seize the initiative. To avoid a double team, Tatum passed the ball to Brown on the left wing. Rather than finding an open Kristaps Porzingis, the All-NBA guard opted to attempt a contested 3-pointer.

“Poor shot from Brown,” said Eric Collins, a play-by-play commentator for Bally Sports.

With 6.1 seconds remaining, Miles Bridges made a go-ahead three-pointer, and Tatum was fouled on a three-point attempt and had an opportunity to level the game. However, the Celtics star converted only two of three free-throw attempts, and Boston was unable to mount a comeback attempt despite the alleged time error.

However, the unanticipated outcome regarding Brown, who recently inked a supermax extension, loomed large. Following Monday’s defeat, the Celtics remained the top team in the Eastern Conference and had amassed a six-game winning streak. However, the disappointments regarding Brown’s disputed three-point attempt became evident shortly after the defeat.