Associated Press
Boston Celtics (58-16, 1st place in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (18-56, 13th place in the Eastern Conference)
Charlotte, North Carolina. Monday, 7pm ET
FanDuel Sportsbook NBA Line: Celtics -17; Over/Under is 216.5
Bottom Line: Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics take on Miles Bridge and the Charlotte Hornets in Eastern Conference action.
The Hornets are 11-36 in conference games. Charlotte has an 8-39 record against opponents above .500.
The Celtics are 38-9 in the Eastern Conference. Boston ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with Jaylen Brown averaging 4.4 points and 15.3 fast-break points per game.
The Hornets are averaging 106.4 points per game, 3.1 points fewer than the Celtics' 109.5 points. The Celtics are averaging 120.9 points per game, 4.0 more points than the Hornets' 116.9.
This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season. The Hornets won 121-118 in overtime in their last meeting on November 21, with LaMelo Ball scoring 36 points.
Top performers: Bridges is averaging 21.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 17.2 points in his last 10 games.
Tatum is averaging 27.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for the Celtics. Derrick White is averaging 3.2 3-pointers in his last 10 games.
Last 10 games: Hornets: 2-8, averaging 100.9 points, 37.5 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 6.7 steals, 3.1 blocks and shooting 45.3% from the field. Opponents are averaging 114.3 points per game.
Celtics: 8-2, averaged 121.8 points, 42.0 rebounds, 27.6 assists, 7.5 steals, 6.1 blocks, and shot 49.0% from the field. The opponent's average score is 108.6 points.
Injuries: Hornets: LaMelo Ball: out for season (ankle), Alexei Pokusevski: out (illness), Seth Curry: out (ankle), Mark Williams: out (back), Cody Martin: out (ankle).
Celtics: J.D. Davison: out (ankle), Jaylen Brown: day-to-day (hand), Kristaps Porzingis: day-to-day (hamstring), Jaden Springer: day-to-day (knee).
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The Associated Press produced this article using technology from Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
