Celtics open four-game road trip against reeling Hornets
The Boston Celtics have uncovered various good responses so far this season even when they haven't operated with a full roster.
They'll try to keep that going Friday night against the host Charlotte Hornets, who would like to see the benefits of a more complete roster.
The matchup is part of Group Play in the NBA Cup.
The Celtics upended the Milwaukee Bucks 109-102 on Wednesday night, bolstered by a 21-point halftime lead and holding on despite star Jayson Tatum missing a game for the first time this season. Paul George's 25 points and Derrick White's 24 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, paced the hosts.
"Obviously it changes a little bit because JT does a lot for us," White said. "But at the end of the day, we believe in our depth, we believe in every person in the locker room, and we just got to go out there and get a win."
Tatum's absence was listed because of needed rest, so that would indicate he would be available for the game in Charlotte. Devin Carter missed the game vs. Milwaukee because of illness, while reserve guard Payton Pritchard logged 18 minutes (with 10 points) after being listed as questionable earlier in the day because of a shoulder ailment.
George had his biggest point total since the season opener.
"We need the best version of him for us to be a great team, and I think you were able to see that (Wednesday)," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.
George said it's important for the Celtics to show they can excel with or without Tatum.
"We want JT to get his rest in those situations, so we got to come together and collectively be big in those moments," George said.
The Hornets continued their slide when the host Brooklyn Nets avenged an earlier setback by winning 114-104 on Wednesday night, extending Charlotte's losing streak to five games.
"We beat ourselves, that never feels good," Hornets guard Sion James said. "We showed flashes of the way we're supposed to play, so for us it's about being more consistent."
Naz Reid's season-high 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting was a boost for Charlotte, but Brandon Miller shot 2-for-15 (1-for-10 on 3s) on his way to 10 points. Miller has had wide swings in terms of offensive production across the season's opening weeks.
"That's part of the game," Charlotte coach Charles Lee said, then referring to how he was encouraged that Miller remained locked in defensively. "That's part of who Brandon is as well. So not surprised that he wasn't going to let his offensive struggles dictate how he was going to respond and react."
The Hornets made 12 shots from 3-point range in Brooklyn, with five of those by Grayson Allen. Team-wide shooting woes continue to be evident despite what's described as good offensive sequences.
"We created some really good looks for each other," Lee said.
The Hornets had guard Kon Knueppel on the court for the first time this season, but he was done after six minutes because of a left leg ailment. His three points came on free throws. His availability will be in question for Friday night.
Boston is 1-2 in road games. The game in Charlotte is the start of a four-game road swing.
The Celtics are 20-4 vs. the Hornets in the last 24 regular-season matchups.
--Field Level Media
Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Field Level Media. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Field Level Media is strictly prohibited.
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5:59 | Luka Garza misses two point tip layup | |||
| 6:02 | Luka Garza offensive rebound | |||
| 6:02 | Luka Garza misses two point jump shot | |||
| 6:04 | Luka Garza offensive rebound | |||
| 6:04 | Jordan Walsh misses three point jump shot | |||
| 6:17 | +2 | Naz Reid makes two point driving floating jump shot | 53-27 | |
| 6:34 | Hornets 60 second timeout | |||
| 6:34 | +3 | Luka Garza makes three point jump shot (Derrick White assists) | 53-25 | |
| 6:46 | Jordan Walsh defensive rebound | |||
| 6:46 | Grayson Allen misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
| 7:03 | +3 | Paul George makes three point jump shot (Derrick White assists) | 50-25 | |
| 7:14 | +1 | Tidjane Salaun makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 47-25 | |
| 7:14 | +1 | Tidjane Salaun makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 47-24 | |
| 7:14 | Neemias Queta personal foul (Loose ball) (Tidjane Salaun draws the foul) | |||
| 7:15 | +2 | Paul George makes two point driving floating jump shot | 47-23 | |
| 7:26 | Celtics defensive rebound | |||
| 7:26 | Grayson Allen misses three point jump shot | |||
| 7:44 | +3 | Derrick White makes three point jump shot (Payton Pritchard assists) | 45-23 | |
| 8:00 | Celtics defensive rebound | |||
| 8:00 | Brandon Miller misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
| 8:07 | Payton Pritchard personal foul (Ryan Kalkbrenner draws the foul) | |||
| 8:11 | Hugo Gonzalez personal foul (Grayson Allen draws the foul) | |||
| 8:18 | Brandon Miller defensive rebound | |||
| 8:18 | Paul George misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
| 8:18 | Celtics misses two point jump shot | |||
| 8:35 | +1 | Coby White makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 42-23 | |
| 8:35 | +1 | Coby White makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 42-22 | |
| 8:35 | Hugo Gonzalez shooting foul (Coby White draws the foul) | |||
| 8:39 | Paul George turnover (out of bounds lost ball) | |||
| 8:42 | Coby White turnover (bad pass) (Paul George steals) | |||
| 8:55 | Tidjane Salaun defensive rebound | |||
| 8:55 | Paul George misses two point driving floating bank jump shot | |||
| 9:12 | +1 | Tidjane Salaun makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 42-21 | |
| 9:12 | Hornets offensive rebound | |||
| 9:12 | Tidjane Salaun misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
| 9:12 | Mitchell Robinson shooting foul (Tidjane Salaun draws the foul) | |||
| 9:15 | Tidjane Salaun offensive rebound | |||
| 9:15 | Coby White misses three point jump shot | |||
| 9:32 | Paul George turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | |||
| 9:40 | Paul George defensive rebound | |||
| 9:40 | Brandon Miller misses two point fadeaway jump shot | |||
| 9:54 | Hornets defensive rebound | |||
| 9:54 | Derrick White misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
| 10:12 | Mitchell Robinson defensive rebound | |||
| 10:12 | Coby White misses three point jump shot | |||
| 10:12 | Mitchell Robinson defensive rebound | |||
| 10:12 | Coby White misses three point jump shot | |||
| 10:30 | Hornets defensive rebound | |||
| 10:30 | Payton Pritchard misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
| 10:34 | Payton Pritchard offensive rebound | |||
| 10:34 | Payton Pritchard misses two point driving floating bank jump shot | |||
| 10:44 | Mitchell Robinson offensive rebound | |||
| 10:44 | Hugo Gonzalez misses three point jump shot | |||
| 10:58 | Celtics offensive rebound | |||
| 10:58 | Hannes Steinbach blocks Payton Pritchard's two point driving finger roll layup | |||
| 11:06 | Liam McNeeley turnover (offensive foul) | |||
| 11:06 | Liam McNeeley offensive foul (Derrick White draws the foul) | |||
| 11:18 | Liam McNeeley defensive rebound | |||
| 11:18 | Paul George misses three point jump shot | |||
| 11:29 | Payton Pritchard defensive rebound | |||
| 11:29 | Tidjane Salaun misses three point jump shot | |||
| 11:51 | Hannes Steinbach defensive rebound | |||
| 11:51 | Derrick White misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
| 11:51 | Hannes Steinbach shooting foul (Derrick White draws the foul) | |||
| 11:51 | +2 | Mitchell Robinson makes two point layup (Derrick White assists) | 42-20 |
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | End of period | |||
| 0:01 | Celtics offensive rebound | |||
| 0:01 | Baylor Scheierman misses three point running pullup jump shot | |||
| 0:06 | Jayson Tatum defensive rebound | |||
| 0:06 | Brandon Miller misses three point jump shot | |||
| 0:14 | +3 | Sam Hauser makes three point jump shot (Jayson Tatum assists) | 40-20 | |
| 0:30 | Payton Pritchard offensive rebound | |||
| 0:30 | Sam Hauser misses three point running jump shot | |||
| 0:37 | Baylor Scheierman defensive rebound | |||
| 0:37 | Liam McNeeley misses two point cutting finger roll layup | |||
| 0:42 | +3 | Jayson Tatum makes three point pullup jump shot | 37-20 | |
| 0:56 | +2 | Brandon Miller makes two point driving floating jump shot | 34-20 | |
| 1:12 | +1 | Jayson Tatum makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 34-18 | |
| 1:12 | Brandon Miller shooting foul (Jayson Tatum draws the foul) | |||
| 1:12 | +2 | Jayson Tatum makes two point running layup (Baylor Scheierman assists) | 33-18 | |
| 1:12 | Hornets personal foul | |||
| 1:17 | Baylor Scheierman defensive rebound | |||
| 1:17 | Sion James misses two point driving finger roll layup | |||
| 1:29 | +1 | Jayson Tatum makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 31-18 | |
| 1:29 | +1 | Jayson Tatum makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 30-18 | |
| 1:29 | Liam McNeeley shooting foul (Jayson Tatum draws the foul) | |||
| 1:40 | Sion James personal foul (Loose ball) (Baylor Scheierman draws the foul) | |||
| 1:44 | Celtics offensive rebound | |||
| 1:44 | Luka Garza misses three point jump shot | |||
| 1:57 | +2 | Christian Anderson makes two point fadeaway jump shot | 29-18 | |
| 2:03 | Christian Anderson offensive rebound | |||
| 2:03 | Sion James misses three point jump shot | |||
| 2:14 | Brandon Miller defensive rebound | |||
| 2:14 | Sam Hauser misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
| 2:26 | Naz Reid turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | |||
| 2:39 | Hornets defensive rebound | |||
| 2:39 | Payton Pritchard misses three point jump shot | |||
| 2:49 | Mitchell Robinson defensive rebound | |||
| 2:49 | Christian Anderson misses three point jump shot | |||
| 3:12 | +3 | Baylor Scheierman makes three point jump shot (Payton Pritchard assists) | 29-16 | |
| 3:23 | Payton Pritchard defensive rebound | |||
| 3:23 | Naz Reid misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
| 3:36 | Hannes Steinbach defensive rebound | |||
| 3:36 | Jayson Tatum misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | |||
| 3:48 | +2 | Hannes Steinbach makes two point tip dunk | 26-16 | |
| 3:52 | Hannes Steinbach offensive rebound | |||
| 3:52 | Naz Reid misses two point driving layup | |||
| 4:05 | +2 | Jayson Tatum makes two point driving finger roll layup (Payton Pritchard assists) | 26-14 | |
| 4:24 | Celtics 60 second timeout | |||
| 4:25 | +2 | Brandon Miller makes two point running alley-oop dunk (Naz Reid assists) | 24-14 | |
| 4:32 | Sion James defensive rebound | |||
| 4:32 | Jayson Tatum misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
| 4:57 | +3 | Naz Reid makes three point jump shot (Christian Anderson assists) | 24-12 | |
| 5:03 | Christian Anderson offensive rebound | |||
| 5:03 | Sion James misses three point jump shot | |||
| 5:17 | +3 | Payton Pritchard makes three point stepback jump shot (Jayson Tatum assists) | 24-9 | |
| 5:31 | Derrick White offensive rebound | |||
| 5:31 | Neemias Queta misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | |||
| 5:52 | Celtics defensive rebound | |||
| 5:52 | Naz Reid misses three point running pullup jump shot | |||
| 5:59 | Naz Reid defensive rebound | |||
| 5:59 | Jayson Tatum misses two point stepback jump shot | |||
| 6:10 | Ryan Kalkbrenner turnover (out of bounds step) | |||
| 6:10 | Jayson Tatum turnover (lost ball) (Naz Reid steals) | |||
| 6:22 | +2 | Brandon Miller makes two point driving layup | 21-9 | |
| 6:34 | Neemias Queta turnover (offensive foul) | |||
| 6:34 | Neemias Queta offensive foul (Brandon Miller draws the foul) | |||
| 6:42 | Paul George defensive rebound | |||
| 6:42 | Brandon Miller misses two point driving floating bank jump shot | |||
| 6:56 | +3 | Jayson Tatum makes three point pullup jump shot (Derrick White assists) | 21-7 | |
| 7:04 | +3 | Coby White makes three point pullup jump shot | 18-7 | |
| 7:24 | +2 | Jayson Tatum makes two point driving floating bank jump shot | 18-4 | |
| 7:40 | Jayson Tatum offensive rebound | |||
| 7:40 | Jayson Tatum misses two point driving layup | |||
| 7:48 | Coby White turnover (back court violation) | |||
| 7:54 | +1 | Derrick White makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 16-4 | |
| 7:54 | Brandon Miller shooting foul (Derrick White draws the foul) | |||
| 7:54 | +3 | Derrick White makes three point stepback jump shot (Jayson Tatum assists) | 15-4 | |
| 7:59 | Naz Reid turnover (out of bounds lost ball) | |||
| 8:09 | +1 | Derrick White makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 12-4 | |
| 8:09 | Coby White shooting foul (Derrick White draws the foul) | |||
| 8:09 | +2 | Derrick White makes two point fadeaway jump shot | 11-4 | |
| 8:25 | +1 | Brandon Miller makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 9-4 | |
| 8:25 | +1 | Brandon Miller makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 9-4 | |
| 8:25 | +1 | Brandon Miller makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 9-3 | |
| 8:25 | Derrick White shooting foul (Brandon Miller draws the foul) | |||
| 8:29 | Grayson Allen defensive rebound | |||
| 8:29 | Paul George misses three point jump shot | |||
| 8:29 | Paul George misses three point jump shot | |||
| 8:42 | Derrick White defensive rebound | |||
| 8:42 | Brandon Miller misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
| 9:00 | Hornets 60 second timeout | |||
| 9:02 | +3 | Derrick White makes three point running jump shot (Jayson Tatum assists) | 9-2 | |
| 9:08 | Derrick White defensive rebound | |||
| 9:08 | Coby White misses two point running layup | |||
| 9:14 | Naz Reid defensive rebound | |||
| 9:14 | Neemias Queta misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
| 9:28 | +2 | Ryan Kalkbrenner makes two point reverse dunk (Brandon Miller assists) | 6-2 | |
| 9:35 | Jump ball. Ryan Kalkbrenner vs. Neemias Queta (Brandon Miller gains possession) | |||
| 9:41 | Ryan Kalkbrenner offensive rebound | |||
| 9:41 | Brandon Miller misses three point jump shot | |||
| 9:42 | Hornets offensive rebound | |||
| 9:42 | Neemias Queta blocks Naz Reid's two point running layup | |||
| 9:47 | Jayson Tatum turnover (bad pass) (Grayson Allen steals) | |||
| 9:58 | Derrick White offensive rebound | |||
| 9:58 | Jayson Tatum misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
| 10:06 | Jayson Tatum defensive rebound | |||
| 10:06 | Paul George blocks Grayson Allen's three point pullup jump shot | |||
| 10:16 | Derrick White turnover (bad pass) (Brandon Miller steals) | |||
| 10:21 | Jayson Tatum defensive rebound | |||
| 10:21 | Brandon Miller misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
| 10:35 | +3 | Paul George makes three point jump shot (Neemias Queta assists) | 6-0 | |
| 10:39 | Neemias Queta offensive rebound | |||
| 10:39 | Paul George misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
| 10:59 | Neemias Queta defensive rebound | |||
| 10:59 | Coby White misses three point jump shot | |||
| 11:22 | +3 | Jayson Tatum makes three point pullup jump shot | 3-0 | |
| 11:32 | Paul George defensive rebound | |||
| 11:32 | Grayson Allen misses three point jump shot | |||
| 11:37 | Grayson Allen offensive rebound | |||
| 11:37 | Coby White misses three point jump shot | |||
| 12:00 | Neemias Queta vs. Ryan Kalkbrenner (Coby White gains possession) |
| Min. Per Game | ||
| Pts. Per Game | ||
| Ast. Per Game | ||
| Reb. Per Game | ||
| Field Goal % | ||
| Three Point % | ||
| Free Throw % |
| Luka Garza misses two point tip layup | 5:59 |
| Luka Garza offensive rebound | 6:02 |
| Luka Garza misses two point jump shot | 6:02 |
| Luka Garza offensive rebound | 6:04 |
| Jordan Walsh misses three point jump shot | 6:04 |
| |
+ 2 | Naz Reid makes two point driving floating jump shot | 6:17 |
| Hornets 60 second timeout | 6:34 |
| |
+ 3 | Luka Garza makes three point jump shot (Derrick White assists) | 6:34 |
| Jordan Walsh defensive rebound | 6:46 |
| Grayson Allen misses two point driving floating jump shot | 6:46 |
| |
+ 3 | Paul George makes three point jump shot (Derrick White assists) | 7:03 |
| Team Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | 53 | 27 |
| Field Goals | 18-40 (45.0%) | 9-35 (25.7%) |
| 3-Pointers | 12-23 (52.2%) | 2-18 (11.1%) |
| Free Throws | 5-6 (83.3%) | 7-8 (87.5%) |
| Total Rebounds | 29 | 22 |
| Offensive | 7 | 6 |
| Defensive | 16 | 11 |
| Team | 6 | 5 |
| Assists | 13 | 3 |
| Steals | 1 | 3 |
| Blocks | 2 | 1 |
| Turnovers | 6 | 6 |
| Fouls | 7 | 7 |
| Technicals | 0 | 0 |
| On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| D. White | 13 | 4 | 4 | 4/5 | 3/4 | 2/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +16 | 24 |
| P. George | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3/8 | 2/4 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | +18 | 11 |
| L. Garza | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +11 | 3 |
| B. Scheierman | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1/2 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +14 | 7 |
| J. Walsh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +19 | 1 |
| On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| D. White | 13 | 4 | 4 | 4/5 | 3/4 | 2/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +16 | 24 |
| P. George | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3/8 | 2/4 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | +18 | 11 |
| L. Garza | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +11 | 3 |
| B. Scheierman | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1/2 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +14 | 7 |
| J. Walsh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +19 | 1 |
| On Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| S. Hauser | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1/3 | 1/3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +12 | 3 |
| P. Pritchard | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1/5 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +10 | 13 |
| M. Robinson | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| H. Gonzalez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 0 |
| M. Conley | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| R. Luis Jr. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| D. Mitchell | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| R. Harper Jr. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| A. Williams | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| C. Cenac Jr. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 53 | 23 | 13 | 18/40 | 12/23 | 5/6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 16 | +97 | - |
| On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| N. Reid | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2/6 | 1/3 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -17 | 8 |
| C. Anderson | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1/2 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +3 | 6 |
| R. Kalkbrenner | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -14 | 2 |
| R. O'Neale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -8 | 0 |
| S. James | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/3 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -6 | 1 |
| On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| N. Reid | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2/6 | 1/3 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -17 | 8 |
| C. Anderson | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1/2 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +3 | 6 |
| R. Kalkbrenner | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -14 | 2 |
| R. O'Neale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -8 | 0 |
| S. James | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/3 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -6 | 1 |
| On Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| T. Salaun | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 3/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -8 | 5 |
| H. Steinbach | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -12 | 6 |
| L. McNeeley | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -11 | 0 |
| K. Boswell | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| M. Ajayi | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| P. Hall | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 27 | 17 | 3 | 9/35 | 2/18 | 7/8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 11 | -73 | - |