Kyrie Irving continued his dominance with a game-high 34 points as the Boston Celtics won their fourth straight game out of the All-Star break, beating the visiting Charlotte Hornets 134-106 on Wednesday.

Irving is averaging 27 points since the break and has scored 25 or more in three consecutive games. Six of Irving's teammates also scored in double digits as Boston stayed within a half-game of Eastern Conference-leading Toronto.

Kemba Walker had 23 points and Dwight Howard added 21 for Charlotte, which had its season-high five-game winning streak snapped and was swept in its three-game season series with Boston.

Boston's Jaylen Brown and Marcus Morris each scored 15 points, Greg Monroe and Terry Rozier had 14 apiece, Aron Baynes added 12 and Marcus Smart 10. Baynes also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Celtics established a season high in points, easily passing their previous high of 124 set against Denver on Dec. 13.

Frank Kaminsky finished with 16 points, Massachusetts native and former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams had 14 and Jeremy Lamb 10 for the Hornets.

Charlotte was down two starters as both Cody Zeller and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist were sidelined due to left knee soreness.

Boston's Daniel Theis missed the game because of right hamstring soreness.

The Celtics were up 67-59 at halftime and quickly opened up a 20-point advantage early in the third quarter after a pair of Brown free throws capped a 21-8 run to make it 88-67 with 5:57 to play.

Boston stretched the margin to 27 later in the quarter before taking a 103-79 lead after three.

The Celtics led by as many as 32 in the fourth. Rozier's 3-pointer with 4:13 left in the game gave Boston its season high in points.

The Hornets were down 37-31 after the first quarter and trailed by 14 early in the second. Kaminsky's driving hook shot with 2:13 before halftime brought Charlotte within 61-57, but the Celtics had their lead back up to eight at the break.

Charlotte continues its three-game road swing Friday at Philadelphia. Boston begins a three-game trip Saturday in Houston.

--Field Level Media