Charlotte Hornets look to end their losing streak when they take on the Celtics

Things aren’t exactly going the Charlotte Hornets’ way right now. Losers of their last three, they look to get back to their winning ways Friday night against the East-leading Celtics.

I think it’s fair to say that eleven games into the season, the Charlotte Hornets aren’t exactly where they thought they’d be. With a record of 5-6 and 1-5 on the road, the team is struggling a bit. Their efforts won’t get any easier as they travel to Boston to take on the red-hot Boston Celtics.

At 10-2, the Celtics currently have the best record in the league, with every one of those wins coming consecutively. So, it’s safe to say the Celtics are feeling it right now. That doesn’t bode well for a Hornets team that has underperformed on the road.

The Hornets are coming off a 113-118 loss to the Knicks in New York. This will be the fourth and final game on this road trip. They currently rest at 8th in the East. The Celtics are fresh off a 107-96 win over the Lakers. As stated before, they are first in the East.

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Charlotte Hornets @ Boston Celtics

7:30 p.m. EST, Friday, November 10th, 2017

TD Garden

Broadcast on FOX Sports Southeast

Injury Report:

CHA:

Nicolas Batum – Left Elbow (Out)

Julyan Stone – Hamstring (Out)

BOS:

Gordon Hayward – Leg (Out)

Al Horford – Concussion (Out)

Jayson Tatum – Ankle (Questionable)

Things to keep an eye on:

Contrary to popular belief, the Celtics aren’t totally reliant on Kyrie Irving. The team has five players averaging 13 points or more, so they can attack you in many ways. With Al Horford out, Dwight Howard could go off offensively. The Kyrie vs Kemba Walker matchup should be enjoyable to watch, as well.

Keys to the game:

With the variety of threats the Celtics have, the Hornets will have to be on their best defensively. Having Michael Kidd-Gilchrist back should help with that. Boston is only shooting 44% from the field this year, which ranks 24th in the league, so Dwight getting defensive rebounds and limiting second-chance points will be key. Stopping Kyrie may prove to be difficult, but he’s only shooting 32% from three thus far, so keeping him out of the lane is a must.

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Boston is probably the hottest team in the league right now, so beating them will be quite daunting. Still, no team is invincible and streaks do have to come to an end. We’ll find out if Charlotte can get off the schneid and improve their woeful road record Friday night in Boston.