Hornets vs. Celtics Reactions: The good, the bad and the LaMelo Ball
The Charlotte Hornets trailed for just 15 seconds on Sunday afternoon and led by double digits for most of the day as they blew out the Celtics at home, 125-104.
Boston’s only lead came in the opening minute of the game before Charlotte took control. The Hornets led by 15 points in the first quarter and double digits for the entire second frame.
After a Kemba Walker-inspired run from Boston trimmed the lead down to single digits in the third, Miles Bridges’ 3-pointer to beat the buzzer to close the frame set the tone for a fourth quarter where Charlotte pulled away.
Bridges was one of four Hornets with at least 20 points, tallying exactly 20 on the day. Devonte’ Graham led all scorers with 24, P.J. Washington had 22 and Terry Rozier finished with 21.
The Good: Assists
In his on-court interview after the game, Bridges said the goal for the day was at least 30 assists. Charlotte hit that mark and then some on the night, tallying 39 assists on 47 made field goals. The 39 assists are three short of the franchise record and signified the type of performance the team had on the day. The ball movement led to open looks and it helped the Charlotte shot 21-for-43 from the 3-point line with Graham (6) and Rozier (5) combining for 11 of those. That duo also combined for 20 of the 39 assists with Rozier's 11 assists tie a career-high, which he set on March 26 against Miami.
The Bad: Only four quarters
The only negative takeaways from games like Sunday's are that they only last four quarters. It was some of the best basketball Charlotte has played in recent weeks and there would have been few complaints from fans if they just simply kept playing.
LaMelo Ball: Return
The Hornets themselves have still yet to give a timetable on LaMelo Ball's return but with a handful of off days in the upcoming week, it's conceivable he could return in the coming games.
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