Charlotte Hornets fall to Boston Celtics in preseason opener
The Charlotte Hornets began their 2022 preseason slate on Sunday afternoon with a visit to Boston to take on the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics.
In a game that was tight throughout the first quarter, the home team quickly pulled away in the second period and never looked back en route to a 134-93 victory over the visiting Hornets. Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 24 points while Kelly Oubre Jr. paced Charlotte with 17 points.
What went right for the Charlotte Hornets?
An astounding 18 players saw the floor for the Hornets, while 16 players saw action for the Celtics. Both of Charlotte’s drafted players from this offseason saw action as Mark Williams had two points and two rebounds in 11 minutes while Bryce McGowens registered four points in eight minutes. Newly acquired point guard Dennis Smith Jr. had a solid first game for the purple and teal with eight points, two rebounds, and one assist in 11 minutes.
One of the storylines entering today’s game was the battle for minutes at the center position. With veteran big man Mason Plumlee returning as the incumbent starter, third-year man Nick Richards had been declared the second-string center by head coach Steve Clifford. Early returns were positive, as Richards put up six points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 18 minutes of action. Plumlee, meanwhile, had eight points, six rebounds, and one steal in 15 minutes. Rookie Mark Williams drew the fewest minutes of the trio and is on track to be the third-string center come opening night.
What went wrong for the Charlotte Hornets?
Shooting, particularly from three-point range, quickly became the story of this game as the Celtics shot a blistering 46.8% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Charlotte could not buy a basket from three-point range for much of the afternoon, making just five of their 33 attempts from beyond the arc for a paltry 15.8% team three-point shooting percentage. The horrid shooting negated the fact that the Hornets attempted 101 shots on the afternoon compared to just 84 shots attempted by the Celtics. Charlotte also had just 13 turnovers compared to 23 for Boston and committed just 19 team fouls compared to 29 for Boston.
Charlotte’s starting backcourt of LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier shot a combined 9/32 from the field and 3/14 from three-point range. Fourth-year man P.J. Washington struggled to the tune of 1/7 from the floor and 0/4 from three-point range on the way to a four point, two rebound afternoon. James Bouknight, who saw 20 minutes in the absence of Cody Martin, had just two points on 1/9 shooting including 0/4 from three-point range.
What is next for the Charlotte Hornets?
The Hornets will return to Charlotte to face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night for their first home game of the preseason. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.