Charlotte Hornets cruised to their sixth straight victory Wednesday night, rolling past the Boston Celtics 118–89 behind a balanced offensive effort.
Kon Knueppel led the way with 20 points, while Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball each added 18. Coby White chipped in 17 points and six assists as Charlotte improved to 32–31, moving above .500 for the first time since Oct. 26.
Charlotte controlled the game from the opening tip, never trailing and building a lead that reached 29 points. The Hornets also protected the ball well, committing just five turnovers in the win.
Boston struggled to find its rhythm offensively throughout the night. Derrick White paced the Celtics with 29 points, while Jaylen Brown finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds. The loss snapped Boston’s three-game winning streak.
Playing their sixth game in nine days, the Celtics (41–21) looked fatigued early and never recovered. Boston shot just 38% from the field (30-for-79) and committed 16 turnovers that Charlotte converted into 21 points. The Celtics also struggled from beyond the arc, making only 10 of 36 attempts.
Despite playing the second night of a back-to-back, the Hornets jumped out quickly, opening the game on an 8–0 run as Boston missed its first eight shots. The Celtics’ shooting woes continued into the second quarter, when their field-goal percentage dipped as low as 25%.
Charlotte took advantage, taking care of the ball with just two turnovers in the first half and building a commanding 64–43 lead at halftime.
Up next: The Hornets host the Miami Heat on Friday, while the Celtics return home to face the Dallas Mavericks the same night.
