The Boston Celtics hosted the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, April 4th, picking up another win. The Celtics are now 2-2 on their 7-game homestand. The Hornets, who picked up the loss on Sunday night, were without Gordon Hayward, Lamelo Ball, and Malik Monk. Despite having the lead at the end of the first quarter, the Hornets quickly fell behind.
The Hornets without Gordon Hayward
Gordon Hayward was unable to play against the Celtics, his former team, on Sunday night due to a foot injury. Hayward’s right foot sprain will put him out for at least four weeks. This is a big loss for the Hornets, as Hayward is their second-leading scorer. Hayward averages 19.6 points per game, as well as 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Without Hayward, the Celtics were able to hold the Hornets to just 17 points in the second quarter.
At the end of the first quarter, the Hornets lead by only one point (26-25). The Hornets being without Hayward, called for Terry Rozier to step up his game. Leading the Hornets in points this season is Rozier, averaging 20.3 points and 3.4 assists per game. Rozier finished off the night with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Rozier went 8/19 from the field, 3/9 from the three-point line, and 3/3 for free-throws in the 32 minutes he played.
Celtics come together to go 1-0 against Hornets in season series
Despite trailing by 1-point at the end of the first quarter, that did not stop the Celtics from improving their record to 25-25. Outscoring the Hornets by 16 points in the second quarter was a huge reason the Celtics were able to pick up the win. The Celtics made 52% of their shots in the first three quarters against the Hornets on Sunday night. In addition to making 52% of their shots, the Celtics went 18/41 from the three-point line and had 24 assists.
During this matchup, some of the Celtics’ leading scorers were Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Evan Fournier. Tatum, who had a slow start for the Celtics, was able to get into his groove in the second half. After finding his groove, Tatum finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Brown had an impressive first half, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and 3 more in the second quarter. At the end of the first half, Brown had 14 points and 6 rebounds. Brown finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist. Fournier was able to keep his flow going shooting 4/5 from the three-point line. Following a great last game, Fournier finished with 17 points, 6 assists, and 2 rebounds.
Up Next
The Hornets will continue their 6-game road trip visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder for a matchup on Wednesday, April 7th, at 8:00 pm.
The Celtics will continue their 7-game homestand and host the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, April 6th, at 7:30 pm.
