Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets will meet for the second consecutive day at the Spectrum Center. Joe Mazzulla’s men imposed their greatest quality and status as current NBA champions in the first matchup this Friday, but the Hornets will try to get revenge to stay in positions of play-in. Of course, they arrive diminished at this back-to-back due to various injuries and physical problems.
Celtics vs Hornets date and time
Date: November 2.
Time: These are the start times of the Celtics vs. Hornets depending on time zone.
Site: Spectrum Center (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Celtics Quintets vs. Hornets
The Boston Celtics will get Al Horford back for this one back-to-back after having missed the first match due to rest. In his place, Jaylen Brown will be out due to a muscle strain, who joins Kristaps Porzingis as confirmed absences for the game. On the part of the Charlotte Hornets, Nick Richards left this Friday’s duel due to a shoulder injury and He thus joins his teammates Mark Williams and Brandon Miller in the team infirmary.
Breaking news for the Celtics: injuries and form
The Boston Celtics do not take their foot off the accelerator. Already entering the month of November, Joe Mazzulla’s team has won five in six games, losing in a single game against the Indiana Pacers who already showed last year how to hurt those who would end up being crowned NBA champions.
In this past day’s victory against Charlotte, Jayson Tatum added a double-double of 32 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 25 points and the Boston Celtics were on a rollercoaster ride that continued until they finally managed to break away after less than three minutes. for the end of the game. Derrick White scored 17 points and Jrue Holiday contributed 14 for Boston.
For this back-to-back They recover Horford, while their rival sees their inside game lose even more strength, so the competitive inertia and the automatisms created in recent years should be enough for the Celtics to win. Of course, they will have to keep a close eye on LaMelo Ball, defend the perimeter better and not allow the Hornets to turn the duel into a runner-up.
Player to watch: Jayson Tatum
The forward has two games above 30 points and against Charlotte he recorded his third double-double of the season with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Tatum is capable of doing many things on the court and adapting perfectly to the different scripts that a match presents. Plus, the Hornets don’t have an elite defender who can make him uncomfortable, so he can have another feast at the Spectrum. He will take a step forward without Jaylen Brown.
Last minute for the Hornets: injuries and form
The arrival of former Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee as the Hornets’ new coach has been a breath of fresh air for the team’s game and identity. This Friday they lived up to the final minutes of the match after recovering from a bad first quarter in which they already found themselves with a 15-point deficit.
And that is the reality of these Hornets: they have improved their game, but they have been very inconsistent for various reasons. Firstly, because Lee is still working on establishing his system and, secondly, because of the numerous physical problems that are affecting the squad. Two of their starters, Mark Williams and Brandon Miller, are in the infirmary, and in the last game they also lost substitute center, Nick Richards, due to shoulder discomfort.
Thus, it is very difficult to measure the performance of these Hornets. Their victories against Houston and the Rockets have been accompanied by setbacks against Atlanta and Miami. Of course, they have competed in every game, driven by an exceptional LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann who is surprising everyone with 21.0 points and a 44.1% success rate in triples coming off the bench. Still, Charlotte will still need a lot of time before becoming a real threat in the East. And may the injuries respect them.
Player to watch: Tre Mann
The young 23-year-old point guard is being the revelation of the season in Charlotte. After two seasons with hardly any space in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s rotation, the guard He is receiving the confidence of Charles Lee to begin to demonstrate his full potential, mainly in terms of scoring. He already scored 23 points against the Celtics this Friday and, for the second consecutive night, he appears as the biggest threat of the Hornets’ second unit.
Celtics vs. Hornets: matchup history
In addition to the victory achieved just 24 hours ago, the Celtics sweep their opponent this day in the head-to-head historic: 78 victories, for only 46 victories for the Hornets. Last year, Boston also won its particular duel against the Hornets after adding two victories in the month of April by an average difference of 23.5 points. Mazzulla’s team has everything they need to achieve their fourth consecutive victory against Charlotte.
Predictions for Celtics vs. Hornets
Tendon pivots. The Boston Celtics are expected to get Al Horford back for this game, but the Charlotte Hornets’ inside game is a real waste due to injuries. Starting center Mark Williams has not played this season and Nick Richards left the last game due to shoulder discomfort. Charlotte could opt for small fives, imitating the model of the Celtics who did a lot of damage in Charlotte’s paint on Friday.
Strain. Last day’s clash saw moments of high tension despite the lack of relevance of the match. Grant Williams was ejected in the fourth quarter for a flagrant foul after running over Jayson Tatum. Moments later, LaMelo Ball fouled Tatum on a three-point attempt. In the final moments, Miles Bridges was also sent off. In the postgame press conference, Jaylen Brown added fuel to the fire by considering that the push by Grant Williams, who played four seasons in Boston, was “totally intentional.”
The importance of the bench. The Celtics had to sweat more than expected to overcome Charlotte, whom they did not knocked out until just over two minutes left in the match. The Hornets were supported by LaMelo Ball’s 31 points, the 19 triples scored and the great difference in points that their bench contributed (52) compared to Boston’s (31). And perhaps it is the performance of Charles Lee’s second unit that will once again put the reigning champions in trouble.
Where to watch Celtics vs. Hornets
The match between Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets can be seen in Spain through the NBA League Pass subscription.
