Celtics (58-16) at Hornets (18-56) Game #75 4/1/24

The Celtics shut out their 6 sport street journey with a cease in Charlotte to tackle Grant Williams and the Charlotte Hornets. They’re 3-2 to this point on the journey, beating Detroit, Chicago, and New Orleans and dropping twice to Atlanta. That is the 2nd of three video games between these two groups this season. The Celtics misplaced the primary sport 118-121 in OT on November 20 at Charlotte. They are going to meet a third time on April 12 in Boston.

The Celtics gained the collection 4-0 final season, profitable 2 at house and a pair of on the street. They’re 75-46 general all time towards Charlotte and they’re 35-26 all time in video games performed in Charlotte. The Hornets are taking part in within the second of again to again video games. They hosted the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. The Hornets are 3-10 on the second evening of again to again video games.

The Celtics stay 1st within the East, 11 video games forward of 2nd place Milwaukee, 13.5 video games forward of third place Cleveland, 14 video games forward of 4th place New York, 15 video games forward of fifth place Orlando, and 16.5 video games forward of sixth place Indiana. They’re 26-13 on the street and 8-2 of their final 10 video games. They’re 38-9 towards Jap Convention groups and are coming off a win of their final sport.

The Hornets are thirteenth within the East, 4.5 video games forward of 14th place Washington and 5.5 video games forward of fifteenth place Detroit. They’re 5 video games behind twelfth place Toronto and 15.5 video games behind tenth place Atlanta and a spot within the play in video games. They’re 10-25 at house and 3-7 of their final 10 video games. They’re 11-36 towards Jap Convention groups and have misplaced their final 2 video games.

The Celtics are taking part in within the sixth and remaining sport of their street journey. They’re 3-2 to this point on the journey, beating Detroit, Chicago and New Orleans and dropping 2 video games to Atlanta. After this sport in Charlotte they may return house for 3 video games towards Oklahoma Metropolis, Sacramento, and Portland. Then it’s one sport on the street in Milwaukee earlier than ending the season at house towards New York, Charlotte and Washington.

The Hornets are taking part in within the 4th sport of an 8 sport house stand. They’re 1-2 to this point, beating Cleveland and dropping to Golden State and the Clippers. They are going to shut out the house stand towards Portland, Orlando, Oklahoma Metropolis, and Dallas. They are going to then end out the season on the street towards Atlanta, Boston and Cleveland.

Jaylen Brown was seen shaking his hand in Saturday’s sport and likewise slipped at one level and hit his knee on the court docket. He’s listed as questionable for this sport with a sprained left hand. Kristaps Porzingis can be listed as questionable as a consequence of proper hamstring harm administration. Jaden Springer is questionable with a knee harm. JD Davison is out with an ankle harm.

I’m guessing that Brown and Porzingis shall be held out of this sport as a precaution with huge video games towards Oklahoma Metropolis and Sacramento developing. I’ll guess that Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser get the beginning on this sport. After all it’s arduous to inform what they may do presently of 12 months. I positively wouldn’t have imagined the beginning lineup with Tatum, Brown, Hauser, Horford and Porzingis so who is aware of who they may begin on this one.

For the Hornets, LaMelo Ball hasn’t performed since Jan. 26 as a consequence of a left ankle harm and can miss the remainder of the season. Seth Curry Curry hasn’t performed since March 1 as a consequence of a proper ankle sprain and is out for the remainder of the season. Cody Martin has additionally been dominated out for the remainder of the season with an ankle harm. Mark Williams has been out since Dec. 8 and can miss this sport. Aleksej Pokusevski is questionable with an sickness.

Possible Celtics Starters

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PG: Jrue HolidaySG: Derrick WhiteSF: Sam HauserPF: Jayson TatumC: Luke Kornet

Celtics ReservesOshae BrissettAl HorfordSvi MykhailiukPayton PritchardJordan WalshJaden SpringerXavier Tillman

2 Manner PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonNeemias Queta

Accidents/OutJaylen Brown (hand) questionable Jaden Springer (knee) questionableKristaps Porzingis (hamstring) questionable JD Davison (ankle) out

Head CoachJoe Mazzulla

Possible Hornets Starters

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PG: Vasa MicicSG: Tre MannSF: Brandon MillerPF: Miles Bridges C: Nick Richards

Hornets Reserves Davis BertansBryce McGowens Nick Smith, Jr JT Thor Grant Williams

2 Manner PlayersAmari BaileyLeaky Black Marques Bolden

Accidents/Out LaMelo Ball (ankle) out Cody Martin (knee) out Seth Curry (ankle) outMark Williams (again) out Aleksej Pokusevski (sickness) questionable

Head CoachSteve Clifford

Key Matchups

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Jayson Tatum


Picture by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe by way of Getty Pictures

Miles Bridges


Picture by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Pictures

Jayson Tatum vs Miles Bridges Bridges is averaging 21.1 factors, 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1 steal per sport. He’s taking pictures 46% from the sphere and 34.7% from past the arc. He has been a brilliant spot in an in any other case very forgettable season.

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Sam Hauser


Picture by Jason Miller/Getty Pictures

Brandon Miller


Picture by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Pictures

Sam Hauser vs Brandon Miller Miller is averaging 16.9 factors, 4.3 rebounds and a pair of.4 assists per sport. He’s taking pictures 43.5% from the sphere and 37.1% from past the arc. After all, Jaylen Brown might begin right here as an alternative of Hauser or who is aware of who else might begin right here. If Tatum might begin on the level, I’m not eliminating something.

Honorable MentionLuke Kornet vs Nick Richards Richards is averaging 9.8 factors, 8.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists per sport. He’s taking pictures 68.8% from the sphere and has not hit any 3 pointers. It’s only a guess that Kornet will begin right here nevertheless it may very well be Al Horford or it may very well be Porzingis, who’s simply questionable and never listed as out as but. Or, it might be Xavier Tillman. At this level of the season, I actually don’t know.

Keys to the GameDefense – Protection is at all times a key to profitable. It was a scarcity of protection that misplaced the two video games towards Atlanta and it was good protection that received them again on observe towards the Pelicans. The Celtics are third with a defensive score of 110.7. The Hornets are twenty eighth with a defensive score of 118.9. The Hornets are twenty ninth in scoring with 106.2 factors per sport. The Celtics are 1st in 3 level makes an attempt with 42.4 and 2nd in 3 level proportion at 39.0%. The Hornets are seventeenth with 33.6 three level makes an attempt per sport and twenty sixth in 3 level proportion at 34.9%. The Celtics must particularly guard the Hornets within the paint and the mid-range.

Rebound – The Celtics can’t rating in the event that they don’t have the ball, and one of the simplest ways to get the ball is the seize rebounds. The Celtics are 2nd within the league with 46.4 rebounds per sport whereas the Hornets are final with 40.7 rebounds per sport. The Celtics must put out additional effort on the boards and once they do, that effort normally interprets to the remainder of their sport. They’ll’t permit the Hornets to out rebound them as they did the Hawks.

Don’t Underestimate – The Hornets are shorthanded with 5 gamers both out or questionable. They’ve gained simply 18 of their 73 video games to this point. It might be straightforward for the Celtics to come back in anticipating a straightforward win and never giving their greatest effort. Nevertheless, considered one of their 18 wins was over the Celtics. The Celtics have to begin robust and play arduous all through the sport. They’ll’t anticipate to win, even towards a depleted staff that isn’t taking part in nicely, in the event that they don’t play arduous and provides it their all.

X-Components On the Street and Fatigue – The Celtics are on the street for the sixth straight sport away from TD Backyard. They’re taking part in within the remaining sport of a street journey, which is commonly the hardest to win. They should get previous the distractions of journey and taking part in in entrance of a hostile crowd. They’ve to focus on taking part in the precise manner and ignore all of the distractions. All of the journey and taking part in quick handed in a number of of the video games could imply that fatigue comes into play down the stretch.

Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Some officers name the sport tight and name each little little bit of contact. Others allow them to play and permit each groups to be bodily. Some refs give the house staff the advantage of the calls whereas others favor the street staff or name it even. Some refs simply make head scratching calls. The Celtics have to focus on taking part in their sport and never permit dangerous calls and no calls to remove from their concentrate on taking part in.

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