With Al Horford sidelined for relaxation functions, the Celtics rolled out the identical beginning lineup they featured towards the Knicks on Tuesday: Jrue Vacation, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis. The group continued to showcase some critically excessive upside, and cruised to a straightforward win over the Charlotte Hornets, 127-99.
Brown led the best way this night with an electrical 20 factors on 8-of-12 capturing from the sphere, on an evening the place the Celtics starters mixed for 71 factors and every scored in double-figures. Kristaps Porzingis impressed with an impactful two-way effort, scoring 14 factors and grabbing 12 rebounds. For the Hornets, LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier mixed for 30 factors, however 23 workforce turnovers made it tough to maintain up with a Boston offense that continues to look dominant.
The Celtics’ core rotation regarded like a bunch prepared for the video games to depend. They held the Hornets scores for a four-minute stretch within the first quarter, racing out to a 34-19 lead heading into the second in nearly easy vogue. Brown discovered the underside of the web on a trio of three-pointers within the opening body, however the workforce’s energetic fingers on protection supplied the story of the primary half. They turned over the sloppy Hornets offense 10 instances, together with three steals from White as a part of an impressed defensive effort, and entered the halftime break with a 66-40 benefit.
We all know what the core contributors are able to, clearly, however the last preseason matchup is our final probability to discern the place the gamers on the fringes stand in relation to a roster spot. Tonight, the primary gamers off the bench have been Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta and Dalano Banton, and the foursome performed all of Boston’s bench minutes till Oshae Brissett checked in with three minutes remaining within the half.
Of the bunch, Pritchard was essentially the most concerned, taking part in 10 minutes and dishing a trio of assists within the half, although he struggled along with his shot (1-of-4 from the sphere, all three-pointers). Banton tacked on a pair of buckets, together with a fast-break end off of a turnover, whereas Queta introduced his typical high-energy however fouled twice and coughed up two turnovers.
The second half started a lot the identical as the primary: with the Celtics hitting from three. This time, it was Vacation who opened the scoring, cashing in on a deep try from the left wing. Shortly thereafter, White did likewise, hitting his second of the sport. Then, it was Porzingis, cashing in on his first. Apparent qualifiers concerning the preseason and the extent of competitors apart, the Celtics’ offense seems prefer it’s going to be formidable.
The query was: how lengthy will Joe Mazzulla maintain the starters within the sport? Midway by the third quarter, with the Celtics having fun with an 81-55 lead, we bought our reply. Mazzulla substituted an all-bench unit with beneath six minutes remaining within the quarter, together with the primary look of the night time for sharpshooter Svi Mykhailiuk. It was as much as the bench to place a cap on the 2023 preseason.
With the starters out of the sport, the star of the rest of the quarter was Queta, who went on a private 8-2 run to reply a small Charlotte run. On an evening the place Luke Kornet remained tethered to the bench — maybe to supply the Celtics a take a look at their different bigs — the two-way middle made a case for himself with 12 factors and 7 rebounds in 13 minutes. Myhailiuk related on a pair of three-pointers, Lamar Stevens added 12 factors on 5-of-6 capturing and Pritchard pushed his help whole to eight, and the Celtics ended their preseason with a 127-99 win.
Subsequent up, the video games begin to depend. The Celtics will kick off their 2023-24 NBA common season in Madison Sq. Backyard for a showdown with the New York Knicks, Wednesday, October 25 at 7 PM EST on ESPN.
