What: Charlotte Hornets (2-2) (1-1 home) vs. Boston Celtics (4-1) (2-1 away)

When: 7:00 PM Eastern

Where: Spectrum Center; Charlotte, NC

How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Equipment: Hornets – Icon (teal), Celtics – Statement (black)

Game lines: Hornets +11.5, O/U 232.5

Injuries:
Hornets: Brandon Miller-questionable (glutes), Mark Williams-out (foot), DaQuan Jeffries-out (hand)

Celtics: Sam Hauser back (probable), Kristaps Porzingis out (surgery)

The Hornets will have an odd quirk in their schedule this weekend. They play two games against the same team on back-to-back nights at the same venue. It’s almost like a baseball series. They will do the same again for the final two games of the season, although there will be a day off in between.

The opponent is the defending champion Boston Celtics. They spent an ungodly amount of money trying to keep that championship roster intact (and then put the team up for sale to make that someone else’s problem), and it appears they’ve picked up right where they left off. They are 4-1 and have the fourth-best net rating entering the season. The only loss came in their last game, an overtime game against the Pacers.

Jayson Tatum was out of the gate, averaging 30.2 points per game, fifth in the league. The usual suspects are right behind him: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. Payton Pritchard was a flamethrower off the bench.

If you don’t like 3-pointers, this isn’t the game for you. Hornets head coach Charles Lee was employed by the Celtics last year and he brought many of their principles to Charlotte. The two teams rank first and fourth in the league in three-point attempts. They boast the second- and fifth-best offensive ratings. It’s all about a points celebration, especially if the Hornets defend as well as they did against the Raptors.

The Hornets can bring back Brandon Miller for this game, and he will be a much-needed boost. They’ll need all the firepower they can get to keep up with the Celtics.

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