The Boston Celtics are now sitting pretty at 3-0, stretching their unbeaten streak in their warmup games after a dominant 114-93 win against the Charlotte Hornets. This isn’t just some casual run, folks. The Celtics are showing some serious early form, and the league is definitely starting to pay attention.
The Starters Are Locking In and Dealing Damage
It’s clear the Celtics are building some real chemistry with their starting five, rolling out Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Jayson Tatum, Paul George, and Mitchell Robinson for the second straight game. Jayson Tatum, as expected, led the starters with 19 points in his 29 minutes on the court. He got things cooking early, dropping a mid-range bucket for Boston’s first non-Robinson points, then capping off a massive 9-0 run with an open triple. He was already at 11 points by the end of the first quarter! Robinson himself was just money, scoring Boston’s first 6 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting and finishing with 12 points total. That’s efficiency you just love to see. Even Paul George, after a rough start missing his first six shots, got on the board with a catch-and-shoot three-pointer thanks to an offensive rebound from White. The cohesion is real.
Bench Spark and Defensive Grit Are Showing Up Big
But let’s talk about the unsung hero of this one: Payton Pritchard. The man dished out a ridiculous 11 assists and had *zero* turnovers. That kind of playmaking is elite and just makes the whole offense hum. He even checked in and immediately poured in a quick 7 points. And you gotta give it up for Derrick White, who not only matched Tatum with 19 points but also racked up four steals. That defensive intensity was a huge reason the Celtics won the turnover battle 13-4 by halftime. Boston’s defense absolutely shined, leading to their 54-44 lead at the break. Even an experimental double-big lineup featuring Robinson and Neemias Queta got in on the action, kicking off the second quarter with a 9-0 run entirely from White! In the third, Tatum continued his all-around impact, adding 5 points, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds. And Pritchard kept feeding the hot hands, finding Queta for two late buckets, including an impressive late shot-clock find on a pump-fake step-through move. Charlotte’s Brandon Miller did try to stage a comeback with 12 points in the third, cutting the deficit to six, but it just wasn’t enough.
The Celtics have now crossed the halfway point of their warmup slate, and this 3-0 start, especially with the starters gelling and the bench bringing that kind of energy, really sets a tone. They’re playing with serious intent, and the way they’re winning the turnover battle and distributing the ball points to a team that’s locked in. It’ll be exciting to see if they can maintain this momentum as they continue to tune up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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