Celtics Suffer Worst Home Loss Of Season Vs. Historically Hot Hornets image
Mar 4, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) controls the ball while Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) defends during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
The Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets were two of the NBA's hottest teams heading into their Wednesday night showdown at TD Garden. The surging Celtics had won 12 of their last 14 games, while the red-hot Hornets were 15-3 over their previous 18 games.
Unfortunately, their matchup was a major letdown. Boston fell behind early and never recovered, trailing by double digits for nearly the entire game. Charlotte cruised to an easy 118-89 win, handing the Celtics their worst home loss of the season in terms of point differential.
The Hornets were on the second night of a back-to-back, but they didn't show it. They rolled to their sixth straight victory by at least 15 points, tied for the second-longest such streak in NBA history.
Boston's 89 points tied its fewest in a home game this season as the team suffered its worst loss to Charlotte in franchise history. The Celtics struggled shooting the ball and lost the turnover battle by a wide margin, contributing to their lopsided defeat. They also got beat on the 3-point line, which rarely happens.
Derrick White was a bright spot for Boston with a game-high 29 points, while Jaylen Brown had a nice double-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. They were the only Celtics to score in double figures, however, as the rest of the offense floundered.
Boston will try to bounce back on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks at home, potentially with Jayson Tatum if he's cleared to return.