Preseason Game Preview: Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics

It's the Hornets' final game of the 2023-24 preseason.

GAME PREVIEW:

On the eve of the regular season, the Charlotte Hornets play the Boston Celtics at home in their final pre-season game on Thursday evening. 

The Hornets, fresh off their first preseason win (117-115) against Oklahoma City on Sunday — in fact, their first preseason win since 2021-22 — will face a Celtics squad that's only lost one of their last four preseason games. Alas, the Hornets undoubtedly aim to show the strength of their current roster and end this preseason with a bang.

Still, the Hornets will have their work cut out for them against dominant players such as Celtics figureheads Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. How will star Hornets rookie Brandon Miller (who's already made impressive strides as an NBA player) and a seasoned Terry Rozier (continuing to build on leadership skills) stack up against those two?

Look for Gordon Hayward to possibly be back in action, per Hornets head coach Steve Clifford. Clifford had this to say ahead of the matchup with Boston and new Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla:

"They have a great team, obviously, right?" Cliff says. "But that's not easy when you come in and you take over a roster where they had gone to the Finals the year before. Plus then they added to that. Every coaching job has different challenges but he did a really good job. They're as good as anybody in the league."

The game will air at 7:00 PM EST on Bally Sports Southeast and NBA TV.

KEY MATCHUP: LaMelo Ball vs. Jrue Holiday

LaMelo Ball will have a fantastic opportunity to defend against another prominent guard in the ever-adaptable Jrue Holiday, an NBA veteran who consistently proves himself in high-pressure situations. It's Holiday's first season as a Celtic, so we'll see how effective a dynamic player like Ball operates against the on-court versatility of Holiday. It could prove to be an illuminating window into the imminent regular season, given Ball stays healthy as the season progresses.

PROJECTED STARTERS:

Position	Hornets	Celtics
Point Guard	LaMelo Ball	Jrue Holiday
Shooting Guard	Terry Rozier	Derrick White
Small Forward	Gordon Hayward	Jaylen Brown
Power Forward	P.J. Washington	Jason Tatum
Center	Mark Williams	Kristaps Porzingis

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