NBA

Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets

· National Basketball Association
5-1, 3-1 Away
Final
124 - 109

2-3, 1-2 Home

Tatum scores 32, Celtics pull away to beat Hornets 124-109 after 2 Charlotte players ejected

Hornets' frustrations come out in loss to Celtics

Derrick White had 17 points and Jrue Holiday chipped in with 14 for Boston.

LaMelo Ball had 31 points before fouling out to lead the Hornets, who continue to play without injured starters Brandon Miller and Mark Williams.

The game got chippy in the fourth quarter as Grant Williams was ejected for a flagrant foul 2 after he ran over Tatum near halfcourt. Moments later, Ball fouled Tatum on a 3-point attempt and was assessed a flagrant for a dangerous foul. Then in the closing seconds Miles Bridges was ejected.

The game featured new Hornets head coach Charles Lee facing the team he won an NBA championship with last season as an assistant coach.

The Hornets got a strong game out of rookie Tidjane Salaun, who had nine points on three 3s.

Takeaways Celtics: Boston showed its championship toughness down the stretch by keeping its cool while the Hornets imploded. The Celtics benefited from 26 fouls against the Hornets, while committing just 13.

Hornets: Center is becoming an issue for the Hornets. Starting center Mark Williams has not played this season and Nick Richards left the game with shoulder soreness. Charlotte could be playing small ball for awhile.

Key moment After the Hornets closed within six, Jrue Holiday knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing with 2:24 left to give the Celtics some breathing room.

Key stat The Celtics were 29 of 35 from the foul line.

Up next The teams meet again Saturday night on the same court.

Regular Season Series

BOS leads series 1-0

Matchup Prediction

Hornets: 26.7%
Celtics: 73.3%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Recent Plays

4th 0.0 End of Game 124 - 109
4th 0.0 End of the 4th Quarter 124 - 109
4th 20.1 Neemias Queta defensive goaltending violation 124 - 109
4th 20.1 Moussa Diabate makes two point shot 124 - 109
4th 20.1 Moussa Diabate offensive rebound 124 - 107

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/bos.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originBOS https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/cha.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCHA
41-86 FG 42-91
47.7 Field Goal % 46.2
13-42 3PT 19-48
31.0 Three Point % 39.6
29-35 FT 6-12
82.9 Free Throw % 50.0
41 Rebounds 42
11 Offensive Rebounds 12
30 Defensive Rebounds 30
21 Assists 20
12 Steals 5
5 Blocks 5
10 Turnovers 14
0 Team Turnovers 2
10 Total Turnovers 16
1 Technical Fouls 3
1 Total Technical Fouls 3
0 Flagrant Fouls 2
12 Points Conceded Off Turnovers 24
21 Fast Break Points 6
56 Points in Paint 44
13 Fouls 26
17 Largest Lead 4

Game Information

Spectrum Center

Location: Charlotte, NC
Attendance: 18,557 · Capacity:

2024-25 Atlantic Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Boston 22 7 .759 - L1
New York 19 10 .655 3 W4
Brooklyn 11 18 .379 11 L2
Philadelphia 10 17 .370 11 W1
Toronto 7 23 .233 15.5 L8

2024-25 Southeast Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Orlando 19 12 .613 - W2
Miami 14 13 .519 3 W1
Atlanta 15 15 .500 3.5 W1
Charlotte 7 22 .241 11 L5
Washington 4 23 .148 13 L2
Full Standings

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