Final: Celtics 124, Hornets 109 - Tatum drops 34, Charlotte melts down

BOSTON CELTICS (4-1) at CHARLOTTE HORNETS (2-2)

Spectrum Center, 7:00 p.m. - NBCS Boston

Line: Boston -10.5

INJURIES

Boston: Kristaps Porzingis (OUT, ankle), Al Horford (OUT, load management)

Charlotte: DaQuan Jeffries (OUT, hand), Mark Williams (OUT, foot), Brandon Miller (OUT, glute)

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Better shot selection: We’re coming off a 6-29 3-point shooting performance by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It’s a ridiculous number for two players, and Tatum’s 18 especially felt extreme, even withing the confines of Mazzulla ball. At least he understood that. 

“I settled way too much last game,” he told reporters at the team shootaround Friday morning. “Especially at the end of the first quarter, I shot five threes in the last minute and a half, and then the start of overtime, I shot like three. That’s eight right there where I just settled.”

So let’s look for some better shots and better ball movement in this one from the two stars. I don’t care if they take a bunch of 3-pointers so long as they are good shots that come organically. 

2. Big men: Horford is out for this one (I expect him to play tomorrow) so they’ll go with a lot more Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, and Neemias Queta. I’m curious to see how the minutes shake out against a team that likes to run like the Hornets. 

3. Bench vs. Bench: The Hornets bench just scored 72 points in their win over Toronto, pushing them to fourth in the NBA in bench scoring. Boston’s bench is in the middle of the pack, but they also went a couple of games without Sam Hauser. We know Boston’s starters will put up points, but will they lose a lead if Tatum or Brown sit? 

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.