Hornets Gameday: at Boston Celtics
7:30 p.m., TD Garden
TV: Fox Sports Southeast Radio: WFNZ-AM 610.
Projected Starters
Hornets | Celtics | |||||
Pos, Player | PPG | RPG | Pos, Player | PPG | RPG | |
G R.. Sessions | 6 | 1.3 | G M. Smart | 10 | 4.1 | |
G N. Batum | 13.4 | 7.8 | G A. Bradley | 17.9 | 7.5 | |
F M. Kidd-Gilchrist | 9.3 | 7 | F J. Crowder | 13.2 | 4.9 | |
F M. Williams | 9.9 | 5.7 | F A. Johnson | 6.3 | 4.1 | |
C C. Zeller | 10.6 | 6.1 | C A. Horford | 15.6 | 6.3 | |
Matchup to Watch
Al Horford vs. Cody Zeller or Marvin Williams: Horford’s shooting range makes him an atypical NBA center, so power forward Marvin Williams might be better suited to guarding him than center Zeller.
Observations
▪ Hornets leading scorer Kemba Walker will miss this game with an excused absence to tend to a personal matter.
▪ Each averaging more than seven boards per game, Charlotte’s Nic Batum and Boston’s Avery Bradley are elite as far as guards rebounding this season.
Tap-ins
▪ Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas has missed the last four games with a groin strain. He is recovering and might play versus the Hornets.
▪ This is the first game of a challenging back-to-back. The Hornets complete this five-game road trip at Atlanta Saturday night.
Did you know?
Tyler and Cody Zeller continue a tradition of brothers simultaneously playing in the NBA. Among others currently in the league: The Morrises, the Plumlees and the Lopezes.
Rick Bonnell
This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Hornets Gameday: at Boston Celtics."