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What: Charlotte Hornets at Boston Celtics
Where: TD Garden Arena; Boston, Mass
When: 6:00 p.m. EST
The Charlotte Hornets face off against the Boston Celtics for the second time in three days, as the two teams play at 6:00 p.m. EST tonight.
Charlotte is coming off a come from behind victory on Friday in Chapel Hill. The Hornets were down 15 at halftime, but came back in the third quarter, took the lead, and held off Boston to seal the win.
I was at the game in Chapel Hill, and the comeback caught me by surprise. Sure, the Hornets shot the ball terribly in the second quarter, but their defense was atrocious as well. If anything, I expected a second half where the Hornets shot the ball better but remained unable to defend.
That wasn’t the case. The Hornets starting unit played well to start the third quarter, defending much better and creating easy scoring chances on the other end. It was, if I’m being honest, very un-Hornets like. After all, this is a team that’s known for coming out flat to start the third quarter, but Friday we saw a team make adjusts and respond well after a terrible quarter to end the half. It’s one preseason game so I’d be crazy to overreact to it, but how the Hornets come out of halftime is something worth keeping an eye on.
We should see more of the same tonight, with balanced minutes and experimental lineups. As of Sunday morning, there is no updated report on the status of Malik Monk, so we’ll see if he is added into the mix of different lineups or if he sits again.
It will also be interesting to see who Borrego starts tonight. Friday’s starting five was solid at times, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the five to start on opening night. However, I’d imagine Borrego will give others a chance, particularly the likes of Monk, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Frank Kaminsky, and Willy Hernangomez.
Tonight is technically Charlotte’s first road game of preseason, but it’s the second away from the Queen City. The Celtics will undoubtedly want to make amends for Friday’s blown lead, so don’t be surprised if they take this one tonight.