Celtics turn 30 Hornets turnovers into a 114-93 preseason win

Boston kept Charlotte’s comeback from becoming a fourth-quarter problem, using Luka Garza’s quick scoring burst and a large turnover advantage to finish a 114-93 preseason win Wednesday at TD Garden.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Garza added 14 points in 14 minutes, while Neemias Queta scored 16 and Mitchell Robinson made all five of his shots for 12. The Celtics improved to 3-0 in exhibition play.

Charlotte’s 3-point shooting kept the game competitive for much of the night. The Hornets made 16 of 42 attempts from deep, compared with Boston’s 11-of-39, but the official game statistics also show 30 Charlotte turnovers. Boston committed 11, recorded 16 steals and scored 56 points in the paint to Charlotte’s 20.

The ESPN play-by-play captures the separation. Boston took an 85-77 lead into the fourth quarter, and the Hornets were still within eight after Dennis Schroder’s jumper with 8:33 left. Garza answered with a 27-foot 3-pointer off a Payton Pritchard assist. Hugo Gonzalez followed with another 3, then Garza stole the ball from Ryan Kalkbrenner and finished a dunk on the ensuing possession.

That sequence pushed Boston’s lead to 100-84 with 7:32 remaining. Garza added a layup off Jordan Walsh’s pass and another long 3 before the midpoint of the quarter. A game Charlotte had repeatedly pulled back toward single digits was moving out of reach.

CelticsBlog’s independent account described Boston’s use of Robinson and Queta together and the bench combinations that finished the job. Pritchard’s 11 assists helped connect those groups. Boston had assists on 31 of its 44 field goals, spreading the offense beyond Tatum’s early scoring.

Tatum scored 11 points in the opening quarter, according to the Celtics’ team recap. Boston led 28-20 after one and 54-44 at halftime. Charlotte recovered in the third behind Brandon Miller, but the Celtics kept finding interior finishes and extra opportunities rather than relying on their own cold 3-point shooting.

Miller and Tidjane Salaun finished with 16 points apiece for Charlotte. Miller needed 17 field-goal attempts to get there; Salaun made four 3-pointers. Rookie Christian Anderson scored 10 points in his preseason debut after missing the previous two games with a sprained ankle, as Hornets team reporting detailed.

The turnover gap limits what Charlotte can take from a good shooting night. Making more 3s than the opponent does little if so many other possessions end without a shot. For Boston, the closing stretch offered a practical preseason positive: its reserves extended the lead through passing, pressure and Garza’s scoring, allowing the Celtics to finish without another return to their starters.

Sources

Official NBA/team game report and record · Independent game reporting · ESPN final game record, full box score and play-by-play · Hornets official game reporting · NBA official game statistics