The Boston Celtics showed a struggling, shorthanded Charlotte Hornets squad no mercy on Friday night. The Green Team went up by as many as 46 points and ultimately prevailed 119-80 at the Spectrum Center, improving to 7-2 on the season and 2-0 in NBA Cup action.
The blitz began almost immediately, as the Celtics jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and led by 31 points at halftime. The C's drained 17 triples in that first half, tying a franchise record, and ended up shooting 54.5 from deep in the lopsided win. Meanwhile, the Hornets shot 22 percent from beyond the arc and an astonishingly abysmal 29.3 percent from the floor.
Simply put, the Celtics dominated every aspect of the game. They won the rebounding battle (51-43), doubled
up the Hornets on blocks (8-4), and recorded a season-high 33 assists. And while the Hornets were without guard Kon Knueppel, point guard Dennis Schröder, center Moussa Diabaté, and forward Grant Williams due to injury, they never put up much of a fight — especially once forward Brandon Miller left the contest in the second quarter with groin soreness. Charlotte now finds itself on a six-game losing streak and at the bottom of the East Group C standings. Conversely, Boston is at the top of the East Group C standings with a massive point differential and has a great shot at advancing past the group stage of the NBA Cup.
Let's take a closer look at the most memorable moments from the in-season tournament blowout captured in images below.
Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics destroy struggling Hornets, 119-80, in wire-to-wire win
