Hornets take on reigning champions in first of two-game series

The Hornets will face the Celtics for the first time since November 2nd

Nov 2, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) drives between Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet (40) and center Al Horford (42) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images / Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

INJURY REPORT:

Hornets: QUESTIONABLE- Moussa Diabate (Illness). OUT - LaMelo Ball (R Ankle), Miles Bridges (L Hip), Josh Green (L Shoulder), Tre Mann (Disc), Brandon Miller (R Wrist) and Grant Williams (R ACL).

Celtics - OUT - Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement).

Game Preview:

The Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics are both coming off loses, but for the Celtics it feels significantly different.

The Celtics played Wednesday against the Orlando Magic in the team's worst game of the last four seasons. They scored 76 points, the lowest since January 2021 against the New York Knicks. None of their top six played, with only rotational players Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet. seeing minutes.

Tonight will be a different matchup, as the Celtics will have everybody back except for reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. The 2023-24 NBA Champions have been just as impressive this season as they were last season, being 59-21 headed into tonight's matchup.

It will most likely be the last game of the season for the majority of the Celtics top rotation players, and with the way the Hornets have played lately there could be a chance that those players do not even play after halftime.

The Hornets are headed in a complete opposite direction of the Celtics. While one team is seeking to repeat as NBA champions, the other is seeking the #1 selection in June's draft. The Hornets are losers of five straight, being 1-9 over their last 10.

They dropped their last game against Toronto 126-96, though Okogie, Diabate, and Mark Williams were all out with injuries. In the game, Jusuf Nurkic and Nick Smith Jr stepped up in the starting lineup. Smith finished with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Nurkic had 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.

The Hornets will have Okogie and Williams back, with Diabate questionable. After Smith's performance, it feels likely he will get another start, especially with Boston's guard duo of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White looming on the opposing bench.

This is the first time the two teams have matched up since the second day of November. To say it was a different matchup at the time would be an understatement. Brown was out for the Celtics the last time the two teams played, but so was star center Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis returned later that month, and has averaged 19.7 points on the season, while shooting 41.7% from deep.

As for the Hornets? Grant Williams, Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, and Cody Martin were all playing. LaMelo Ball was also heallthy. THAT'S how long ago that game was. Mann and Williams have not played since November, Miller since January, and Cody Martin was sent to Phoenix for Jusuf Nurkic at February's trade deadline.

The Hornets lost both games of a back to back at the Spectrum Center, and the upcoming series of two games at TD Garden most likely will not feed different results.

Key Matchup: The Three Ball

"All the Celtics do is shoot threes" is a popular take amongst the NBA community. While there is some truth to it, they also make those threes.

The 2024-25 Celtics have made the most threes out of any team in NBA history. They have three different players who passed Isaiah Thomas (245) for the most threes in team history. The Celtics also are not a "run up the court and shoot the first possible three" type of team. They create open shots through tremendous playmaking and sets all designed from the brilliant mind of Joe Mazzulla, who Hornets head coach Charles Lee knows well.

If the Hornets want to beat the Celtics, they need to be able to match the Celtics shooting. There is no limiting threes like some Twitter coaches believe is possible, if you do not match their shooting you might as well throw the subs out early. Since the beginning of March, the Celtics have made 14+ threes in 16 out of their 20 games; the Hornets have done it in 7 of their 22 games, and have not done it since March 31st.

Except for when Luke Kornet (who ironically holds the NCAA record for most threes by a 7 footer, and played his first few years as a stretch five) is on the court, everybody on the court for the Celtics can shoot the three ball.

If Charlotte wants to win against Boston, they need to catch fire from three like they did a month ago against the Spurs. A big shooting night from Nick Smith Jr like Wednesday night would also be needed, but even 6-9 might not be enough.

The bright side for the Hornets? Only one loss and they secure top three odds in the draft in June. If the Jazz and Wizards also lose tomorrow night, then they are officially locked into the third slot for the lottery in May. It would make Sunday's game a lot more interesting, especially assuming that the Celtics rest their top six rotational players.

A win to cap off a rough season, sending the team to 20 wins would be fantastic.

Projected Starting Lineups:

Position	Charlotte Hornets	Boston Celtics
Point Guard	KJ Simpson	Jrue Holiday
Shooting Guard	Nick Smith Jr	Derrick White
Small Forward	Josh Okogie	Sam Hauser
Power Forward	Tidjane Salaun	Jayson Tatum
Center	Mark Williams	Kristaps Porzingis

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