Charlotte welcomes defending champion Boston Celtics to town for an Eastern Conference showdown

Matt Alquiza | 7 Hours Ago

Apr 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann (23) shoots against Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) and guard Jordan Walsh (27) in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Injury Report

Charlotte: OUT Mark Williams (Foot), DaQuan Jeffries (Hand) QUESTIONABLE Brandon Miller (L Glute)

Boston: OUT Kristaps Porzingis (Foot) PROBABLE Sam Hauser (Back)

Game Preview

The Charlotte Hornets will face their stiffest test of the early season when Boston comes to town for the first game of the rare same team, same city back-to-back. Boston, the defending NBA champions, are playing like a team poised to repeat.

The Celtics have taken the analytics revolution and frankly revolutionized it. Joe Mazzulla's squad is firing up 51.6 three point attempts per game to lead the league, six more than the second place Golden State Warriors. The 2018-19 Houston Rockets have the NBA record for attempts in a season (45.8), and Boston is on pace to smash that number. Charlotte averages the fourth amount of three pointers attempted in the Association, so look for shots to be flying in Buzz City over the next two days.

Expect some high scoring action tonight as both teams have struggled on defense in the early goings. Charlotte ranks 29th out of 30 teams in defensive rating, while Boston ranks 12th. The Celtics are led by do-it-all wing Jayson Tatum who ranks 5th in the league in points per game.

Key matchup

LaMelo Ball vs. Jrue Holiday

Nov 20, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives in as he is defended by Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Ball has been everything for the Hornets in the week's first season. Charlotte's dazzling point guard has knocked down 19 three pointers through four contests, good for eighth in the NBA. His counterpoint tonight, Jrue Holiday, is one of the toughest man-to-man defenders to crack in the league. Holiday's lateral agility, monk-like patience, and never-ending wingspan make him a complicated puzzle that LaMelo will need to crack to get Charlotte's offense out of first gear against Boston. The chess match between those two will be worth the price of admission for this one.

Projected starting lineups

	Charlotte Hornets	Boston Celtics
Point Guard	LaMelo Ball	Jrue Holiday
Shooting Guard	Josh Green	Derrick White
Small Forward	Brandon Miller	Jayson Tatum
Power Forward	Miles Bridges	Jaylen Brown
Center	Nick Richards	Al Horford

Charlotte's next game will be Saturday night at 7 P.M. as the Boston Celtics will remain in town for a doubleheader.

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