Charlotte Hornets (32-31) beat Boston Celtics (41-21) 118-89 on the road on Wednesday, March 4. The final margin was 29 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hornets struck first, taking the opening quarter 35-23 and a 12-point lead after one. The Hornets kept the pressure on with a 29-20 second quarter, carrying a 21-point lead into halftime.
The Hornets won the third 27-25 to create some separation, taking a 23-point lead into the fourth. The Hornets took the fourth 27-21; the Hornets finished the job for a 118-89 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Hornets took better care of the ball, turning it over on 4.4% of possessions compared with 16% for the Celtics. The Hornets got more from their shots, finishing at 56.7% effective field-goal shooting compared with 44.3% for the Celtics. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Celtics did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 24.1 against 19.1. The Hornets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 93 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 127.5 points per 100 possessions to 96.2 for the Celtics.
The Hornets' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 44-20.
Who stood out
Derrick White was the game's biggest individual force for BOS: 29 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast on 9-17 shooting. His Game Score of 23 led everyone. His team was -18 with him on the floor.
Coby White led the Hornets with 17 pts, 1 reb, 6 ast on 6-9 shooting, good for a 17.8 Game Score.
Jaylen Brown (20 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Hornets entered with about a 29% chance.
Across the last 4 meetings in our records, Boston Celtics lead 4-0.
The Hornets are now 32-31, and the Celtics are 41-21. The Hornets last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.