Charlotte Hornets look to avenge loss in Boston as they take on Celtics

The Charlotte Hornets have struggled on the road this season. Can they change that with an upset win over the Celtics in Boston?

If there’s something the Charlotte Hornets (24-25) need to improve upon, it’s their play away from home. Sporting a paltry 7-17 record, they’ve really been inconsistent on the road. That will have to change if they want to climb the rankings and get a better seed for the playoffs.

They can start with a road win over the Boston Celtics (31-19) Wednesday night. If they can pull it off, it would be the first road win in Boston for the Hornets since the 2015-2016 season. I’d say they’re due. Still, a team as talented as Boston won’t go down easily. They showed that earlier in the season with a 119-103 victory in Boston over the Hornets.

Boston’s defense was the deciding factor in that game as they held Charlotte to just 41 combined points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Add holding the Hornets to just 25% from behind the arc, and you have a recipe for a loss. It’s not that Charlotte can’t beat the Celtics, however, as they did defeat them in Charlotte back on November 19th.

Charlotte’s last game was a 101-92 win over the New York Knicks. They are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference. Boston’s last game was a 112-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. They are 5th in the East. This is the third of four games against the Celtics.

Charlotte Hornets at Boston Celtics
7:30 p.m. EST, Wednesday, January 30th, 2019
TD Garden
Fox Sports Southeast

Injury Report:

CHA:

Cody Zeller – Hand (Out)

BOS:

Kyrie Irving – Hip (Game-Time decision)

Things to watch for:

I think the obvious thing to take note of is whether or not Kyrie Irving plays. I think he will, but if not, that could be very beneficial for the Hornets.

Something else to consider is Kemba Walker‘s injury and if it’s still hindering him. It seemed to affect him last game as he shot only 5-16 from the field and scored only 14 points.

Here’s hoping he’s closer to 100% for this one.

Keys to the game:

Charlotte is going to have to find a way to score in this one.

It’s going to be rough given Boston holds teams to the second lowest field goal percentage in the league, allowing teams to only shoot 44% from the floor. Making the extra pass to find open shooters and running proper ball screens will be a must.

Beating them at the free-throw line will be imperative as well, as the Celtics attempt the third fewest free-throws in the NBA. Attack the basket and try to draw fouls.

I know many fans think a win in Boston is improbable, but I don’t necessarily think it’s out of Charlotte’s reach. It’ll be tough, for sure, and if Charlotte’s shots aren’t going in, then it could be over quickly. We’ll see if they can pull off the upset Wednesday night in Bean Town.