Charlotte Hornets vs Boston Celtics 2/2/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Charlotte Hornets vs Boston Celtics Matchup Preview (2/2/22)

The Charlotte Hornets (28-23) will travel to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics (27-25) Wednesday night in a potential preview of the play-in tournament. The Hornets are 6-4 in their last ten games with a win over these Celtics. The Hornets are coming off a dreadful 115-90 loss to the Clippers in which the Hornets had a 32 FG%, 23 3PT%, and 66 FT%. LaMelo Ball played well with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists. Besides Ball, the Hornets were plagued with bad shooting and poor defense. Luke Kennard and Brandon Boston Jr hurt the Hornets bench with a combined 33 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists. Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr missed the Clippers game, which was a huge offensive loss. Kelly Oubre Jr is a game time decision, but Gordon Hayward and Jalen McDaniels are expected to miss the contest. Without Hayward, the Hornets would likely continue to start Cody Martin, who is averaging 8.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 2.6 APG on the year. 

The Celtics finally hit their stride in January, moving up to the 9th seed. They are 6-4 in their last ten games and trending up. The Celtics are coming off a 122-92 thumping of the Miami Heat. Brown led the scoring charge with 29 points on 11/19 (57%) shooting. Jayson Tatum chipped in 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists on 7/15 (46%) shooting. As a team, the Celtics shot 52% from the field and 38% from three. While the offense was impressive, the airtight defense suffocated the Heat all night. They forced the Heat into 18 turnovers and won the rebounding battle by nine boards. They are one of the most inconsistent teams in the NBA, but when they are hot, the Celtics can decisively defeat any contender. There are no key starters or bench players missing for this game. The Celtics must be thrilled that they are finally healthy and able to field their complete roster.

Charlotte Hornets vs Boston Celtics Betting Odds

The Celtics and Hornets have faced off twice this season, resulting in a 1-1 split. The Celtics won the first game 140-129 in OT on October 25th. Tatum and Brown combined for 71 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Dennis Schroder had an all around game with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. In their most recent matchup on January 19th, the Hornets took the game 111-102 on the back of a Terry Rozier double-double (28 points, 10 assists). Miles Bridges scored 22 points, and LaMelo Ball had a triple-double (15 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists). In the third installment, I expect the Celtics to win by 5+ points. Gordon Hayward is a huge loss since he provides spacing and secondary playmaking while chipping in 15-20 points. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been excellent recently, so I am going with the Celtics here.

TV Schedule

Date: 2/2/22
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: TD Garden – Boston, MA
Channel: NBSB, NBA League Pass

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Charlotte Hornets Starting Lineup

PG: LaMelo Ball
SG: Terry Rozier
SF: Cody Martin
PF: Miles Bridges
C: Mason Plumlee

Charlotte Hornets Analysis

The Hornets backcourt of LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier will face a stiff test against the defense of Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. Smart (1.9 SPG) and Brown (1.1 SPG) are both great perimeter defenders with active hands. They know they can stick closely to Ball and Rozier because the excellent Celtics interior defense provides this luxury. Rozier will look to replicate his dynamic performance against the Celtics in both the scoring and playmaking department. Kelly Oubre Jr being able to play would ease the burden off of the Hornets starting unit. In Oubre Jr’s last game, he annihilated the Pacers with 39 points and a mind-boggling 8 three-pointers in the 4th quarter. The Hornets bench is very weak compared to the Celtics, so Oubre Jr’s presence would lessen that advantage. 

The matchup the Hornets should be concerned about is the center battle. Mason Plumlee is a solid veteran, but there is nothing special about any part of his game. Robert Williams III is an athletic freak who will be a constant pick and roll threat. Al Horford can also exploit Plumlee by dragging him out of the paint for a jump shot. Overall, the Celtics have a sizable advantage at the center position; Plumlee needs to hold his own and keep the Celtics off the offensive glass.

Boston Celtics Starting Lineup

PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Robert Williams III
C: Al Horford

Boston Celtics Analysis

The Celtics have the two best players in this game – Tatum and Brown. Both have learned how to produce great nights at the same time, an outcome that was surprisingly rare in recent years. Miles Bridges (20.2 PPG) has taken a huge step forward offensively and will look to duel Tatum throughout the game. The Hornets are 27th in the NBA at defending the pick and roll ball handler (0.94 Points Per Possession allowed). Tatum thrives in the pick and roll, which leads me to believe he will torch the Hornets. If Tatum and Brown can combine for 50+ points, then the game should be heavily in their favor because of their bench advantage.

Ish Smith has been a decent player throughout his career, and James Bouknight has upside, but the Hornets cannot feel good about this bench matchup. Schroder lit the Hornets up for 23 and 24 points in the two previous matchups. Payton Pritchard, Josh Richardson, Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams, and Enes Freedom are all at least equivalent to their counterparts on the Hornets bench. With Tatum and Brown clicking, the Celtics will win both the starter and bench minutes. Look for the Celtics to take the series lead 2-1 and continue their excellent play.

Charlotte Hornets vs Boston Celtics Daily Fantasy Picks

Jayson Tatum and LaMelo Ball will be the stars of the game. The Hornets have a good Spot Up defense and terrible Pick and Roll Ball Handler defense, which suggests Tatum will be the star instead of Jaylen Brown. Tatum has picked up his play and is averaging 32 PPG over his last six games. I am predicting Tatum to score 30+ points on the way to a Celtics victory. For the Hornets, I like LaMelo Ball to have another all around great game. LaMelo is averaging 20 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 9.5 APG against the Celtics this year. A triple-double for LaMelo is a realistic outcome for the second year point guard in this one. I think the Celtics will limit Rozier’s touches, which would mean LaMelo has the ball even more than he usually does.