Boston Celtics (5-1) vs. Charlotte Hornets (2-3), Game #7, 11/2/24

The Celtics face the Charlotte Hornets for the second time in just a few days. On Friday, the Celtics defeated the Hornets 124-109. This win gives the Celtics a 5-1 record, with their only loss coming to the Indiana Pacers in overtime. Charlotte is 2-3 this season, winning against Houston and Toronto and losing to Atlanta, Miami and Boston.

This is the second meeting between these two teams this season after they beat the Hornets on Friday. They will complete the series on April 11th and 13th in Boston. The Celtics won the series 2-1 last season, winning their only game in Boston and winning one and losing one in Charlotte. The Celtics are 78-46 overall against the Hornets and 37-26 in games in Charlotte.

The Celtics remained mostly unchanged in the offseason, returning their entire roster and only losing Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett. They added Baylor Scheierman, who was the 30th pick in the draft, and signed second-round pick Anton Watson to a two-way contract. They also put a few chips on their shoulder after a few Olympic snubs.

The new owner of the Charlotte Hornets has been busy over the offseason hiring a new head coach, general manager and team president. Former Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee is the Hornets' new head coach. The team recruited French forward Tidjane Salaun at No. 6 and KJ Simpson at No. 42. They also signed center Taj Gibson and guard Seth Curry as free agents.

Al Horford missed Friday's game at halftime, but I expect him to be back this time. They will once again be without Kristaps Porzingis, who is still recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Jaylen Brown injured his hip in the 3rd quarter of Friday's game and is out for this game. I'm assuming Jordan Walsh will start, but it's possible Sam Hauser could start here too.

The Hornets will be without DaQuan Jeffries as he recovers from a hand injury. Mark Williams is also out as he recovers from a strained foot tendon. Neither has played so far this season. Brandon Miller is questionable with a glute injury. Nick Richards injured his shoulder in Friday's game and is out for this game. I'm not sure who they'll start, but my guess is Grant Williams.

Likely Celtics starters

Grid view

PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jordan Walsh
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Al Horford

Celtics reserves
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Sam Hauser
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Luke Kornet

2-way player
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anthony Watson

Injuries/losses
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) is out
Jaylen Brown (hip) is out

Head coach
Joe Mazzulla

Likely Hornets starters

Grid view

PG: LaMelo Ball
SG: Seth Curry
SF: Josh Green
PF: Miles Bridges
C: Grant Williams

Hornet reserves
Nick Smith, Jr
Cody Martin
Vasa Micic
Three men
Tidjane Salaun
Taj Gibson

2-way player
Moussa diabate
KJ Simpson
Jared Rhoden

Injuries/losses
DaQuan Jeffries (distribute).
Mark Williams (foot) is out
Brandon Miller (gluteus) questionable
Nick Richards (shoulder) is out

Head coach
Charles Lee

Key Matches

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  Jrue holiday
  
  

  Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
  

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  LaMelo Ball
  
  

  Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
  

Jrue Holiday vs. LaMelo Ball
Ball has played very well this season, averaging 28.5 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He shoots 42.7% from the field and 37.5% from distance. On Friday, he finished the game with 31 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal while shooting 48% from the field and 35.7% from distance. The Celtics need to try to slow him down a bit more in this game.

Grid view

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  Payton Pritchard
  
  

  Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
  

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  Three men
  
  

  Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
  

Payton Pritchard vs. Tre Mann
This is a clash of key substitutes off the bench, both of whom shoot three-pointers very well. Mann is averaging 20.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 42.9% from distance. Pritchard is averaging 16.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 46.9% from distance. On Friday, Mann finished the game with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block while shooting 55.6% from the field and 50% from distance. Pritchard had a rare off-shooting night but was active in defense. He finished the game with 7 points on 16.7% shooting and 0-5 on three-point shots. He also had 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals.

Honorable mention
Jayson Tatum vs. Miles Bridges
Bridges averages 15 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1 block per game. He shoots 39.6% from the field and 25% from distance. On Friday, he finished the game with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal while shooting 31.3% from the field and just 20% on three-pointers. He also got frustrated at the end of the game and was ejected.

Key to the game
defense – Defense is always the key to victory. It was a lack of defense that gave the Pacers a 23-point gap, and it was good defense that got them back into the game and forced overtime. The Celtics rank 12th with a defensive rating of 111.5. The Hornets rank 30th with a defensive rating of 120.0. The Celtics are first with 50 three-point attempts, while the Hornets are third with 44.8 three-point attempts per game. At 39.3% they are in fifth place with 3 percentage points. The Celtics have to protect the Hornets, especially on the perimeter.

rebound – Rebounding is important to give the Celtics more possession and limit their opponents' possession. Rebounding requires effort and the Celtics will have to put in extra effort to beat the Hornets in rebounding. The Hornets are tied for first with 21 second-chance points per game and the Celtics need to limit that by trying harder to grab rebounds. On Friday, the Hornets had 1 more rebound and 1 more offensive rebound than the Celtics. The Celtics need to work harder on the boards in this game.

Maximum effort for 48 minutes – The Celtics' first three-quarter performance against the Pacers left much to be desired, landing them in a 23-point hole. They finally found some energy and commitment in the 4th quarter and fought back to force overtime. The Celtics' performance in the last two games has been good at times and not so good at times. On Friday, the Celtics increased their efforts in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Hornets. The Celtics need to be at their best on the boards and on defense throughout the entire game, not just a quarter or two.

Bank game – The Hornets have three players on the bench who are shooting over 40% from beyond the arc. Tre Mann (20.5 points, 42.9% from three), Cody Martin (11.5 points, 42.1% from three) and Grant Williams (10.3 points, 47.4% from three) The Celtics Reserves need to come in and play hard on the defensive end to limit their 3-point shooting. They also have to perform on offense.

X factors
On the road and emotions – The Celtics are playing their fifth road game this season. The Celtics face the distractions of travel and a hostile crowd, and they cannot allow those distractions to affect their focus on the game. The end of Friday's game was emotional as Grant Williams was ejected for a flagrant 2-pointer, Miles Bridges was ejected for a 2-technical and LaMelo Ball received a technical. Both coaches also received technical information. The Celtics must remain calm and not allow emotions to interfere with proper play.

Coaching – Charles Lee helped lead the Celtics to their 18th championship as an assistant coach. He is now head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. I'm sure these two coaches share some coaching philosophies, including the strategy of shooting a lot of threes. Joe Mazzulla wins their first meeting. Which coach will emerge as the winner here?

Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor. Each team calls the game differently. Some call it “tight” and demand every little contact, while others allow more physical play. Some prefer the home team, while others consider both sides to be equal. The Celtics must adapt to the way the referees call the game and not allow no-calls and bad calls to affect their focus on the game.

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