The Celtics still have yet to play the Thunder this season, but otherwise, they’ve seen all the competition the NBA has to offer, and it’s hard to say they’ve seen a more impressive team than the Charlotte Hornets.
Former Celtics assistant Charles Lee has turned that franchise around over the past couple of years, and you could see the fruits of his labor on Wednesday night. The Hornets came into Boston on the second night of a back-to-back and beatdown the Celtics, 118-89.
The Hornets have now won 16 of their last 19, improving their record to 32-31 on the season, and with their starting lineup of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate, they’ve gone 20-2.
For now, they’re still just 9th in the East, but the way they’ve been playing lately, and the way they looked on Wednesday night in Boston, they certainly looked like a team that could go toe-to-toe with anyone in the conference.
Hornets beat Celtics at their own game
The most impressive thing about this win for Charlotte was that nothing seemed fluky. They had a plan and executed it, breaking Boston’s will. If it looked familiar, it’s because they’ve modeled their game after the Celtics, pushing to win the math game, dominating possessions, and three-pointers.
They got up 49 threes and made 19 while the Cs made just 10 of 36. Boston narrowly won the rebounding battle, but the Hornets secured 11 offensive boards while the Celtics had just 9. All said and done, the Hornets attempted 10 more field goals, 13 more threes, and one more free throw. That’s a math problem that’s almost impossible to overcome.
With the way the Celtics have been rolling, it’s easy enough to write this one off and chalk it up to an off night, but this game said more about the Hornets than the Celtics. Their triumvirate of LaMelo, Kon, and Miller all showed out, but ran a balanced attack that bordered on unstoppable.
Kneuppel led the way with 20 points and 4 rebounds, Ball had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Miller put up 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Their newest trade deadline addition also added 17 points and 6 assists.
It remains to be seen if this can translate to the playoffs this season, but it’s very clear that the Hornets are building something real in Charlotte. Whether it’s this year, next year, or further down the road, something special is going on with the Hornets.