The Boston Celtics host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night at TD Garden in a regular-season meeting that could say plenty about the East before the playoff bracket settles. Boston entered at 53-25, Charlotte at 43-36, and the game was set for 8:00 PM ET as Game #79 for both teams and the Celtics' home Game #39.
The teams split the first two meetings this season. Charlotte stunned Boston 118-89 at TD Garden on March 4, then Boston answered with a 114-99 win in Charlotte on March 29. The Celtics have still dominated the series over time, holding an 82-47 edge and a 43-21 record against the Hornets in Boston.
Boston came in second in the East and had won three straight, while Charlotte sat eighth after winning four in a row. The gap around them was razor thin: the teams from sixth through 10th were separated by just two games, which gave the night more weight than a standard April stop. The Celtics were 27-11 at home, and the Hornets were 22-17 on the road.
That pressure shaped the matchup beyond the standings. The Hornets were trying to avoid slipping into ninth or 10th, where they would need two wins instead of one to make the playoffs. The source said the game could be a first-round preview, and that is exactly how both sides had to treat it. Boston was also the better side last season, when it won all four games between the teams.
There were a few roster notes worth watching. Nikola Vucevic returned on Sunday after missing four weeks because of finger surgery, PJ Hall was out with an ankle injury, and Coby White was listed as probable with left groin soreness. At point guard, the probable starting matchup was Derrick White versus LaMelo Ball.
After Tuesday's game, Boston was scheduled to play at New York, host New Orleans, and finish the season by hosting Orlando. Charlotte had two games left, at home against Detroit and then at New York against the Knicks. For a night that began as another April game, Hornets vs Celtics carried the feel of one that could decide much more than the final score.
