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October 15, 2026 at 4:28 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Celtics Pull Away From Shorthanded Hornets, 114-93, in Preseason Home Game

Boston's regulars worked in measured minutes and the bench finished the job in a 21-point preseason win over a Charlotte team missing three rotation players.

Boston Celtics vs. Charlotte Hornets: Stream, lineups, injury reports, broadcast (10/14) — Yahoo Sports
Boston Celtics vs. Charlotte Hornets: Stream, lineups, injury reports, broadcast (10/14) — Yahoo Sports

The Celtics beat the Hornets 114-93 at TD Garden on Wednesday, and the regulars were out of the way before the game needed them. With Sam Cassell set to coach the finale Friday in Philadelphia, a call Joe Mazzulla has already made, this was probably the last preseason run for the main group. Jayson Tatum led the night at 29 minutes with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Derrick White gave Boston 17 points in 20 minutes. Practice habits and conditioning were what this preseason stretch was meant to test, and the Celtics came through without leaning on anyone.

The starting five around Tatum was White, Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Walsh. Robinson was the most productive of the group, with 12 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes. George was quieter, with five points, six rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes. Walsh scored two. Scoring came from the second unit: Neemias Queta had 16 points, Luka Garza 14 in 14 minutes, and Payton Pritchard ran the offense for 29 minutes and handed out 11 assists.

Charlotte arrived off a 15-point win over Milwaukee, in which Brandon Miller returned from injury to lead the team with 18 points, and Naz Reid and Moussa Diabate also contributed. Miller was again the Hornets' steadiest scorer with 16 in 27 minutes. Reid added 12 points and six rebounds, but Diabate managed only three points. Tidjane Salaun came off the bench for 16, and Royce O'Neale scored 12. They had little backup, since Kon Knueppel, Coby White and former Celtics forward Grant Williams were not in the lineup, and Charlotte never found enough offense to keep up.

The result also reverses last season's trend a little. The Hornets went 1-2 against Boston, and their win was a 29-point rout at this same arena in March. Nothing in this preseason game carries over from that one, but Boston did leave with a margin of 21 and a rotation that held up while the starters took it easy.

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