The Boston Celtics remain unscratched this preseason after escaping the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, 108-100. Boston's stars were a big reason for the triumph, though there was a player that came off the bench and helped seal the win. That guy was guard Shane Larkin, who signed with the Celtics in July.
Boston dominated the majority of Wednesday's contest. The Celtics were poised to win via blowout entering the fourth quarter of the game. However, it was in the final frame that Charlotte staged a comeback.
With less than a minute left on the game clock, the Hornets were trailing by just three points, 101-98.
It looked like they had one last run in them at this point, but Larkin had other plans. Larkin drove strong to the basket and made a layup while drawing a foul. He completed the three-point play to put the Celtics up, 104-98. Charlotte's Marcus Paige had a layup of his own to cut the lead to four (104-100). However, Larkin struck again and had another layup that iced the game.
Larkin finished the game with nine points and two rebounds. If the 25-year-old survives roster cuts ahead of the 2017-18 season, he will be the third option at point guard for head coach Brad Stevens and the Celtics.
Boston's preseason is now over. It is time for the Celtics to get ready for their season opener on October 17 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena.
Offensive juggernaut
As mentioned, the Boston Celtics' stars came out to play against the Charlotte Hornets. Leading the way was Kyrie Irving who shot well from the field (7-of-11) and recorded 16 points. The 25-year-old also had five rebounds, ten assists, and a steal. Al Horford followed Irving in scoring with 15 points, while Gordan Hayward added 13.
Second-year big man Jaylen Brown contributed 12 points.
Future star
Rookie Malik Monk starred for the Charlotte Hornets in their loss to the Boston Celtics. Monk led all scorers with a game-high 21 points. The 19-year-old tallied six rebounds and three assists as well. Monk is one of the youngest players on the Hornets roster.
The team is expecting him to have a significant impact on its upcoming campaign.
Last stand
If the Boston Celtics completed their preseason, the Charlotte Hornets still have a game remaining on their schedule. On Friday, the Hornets are going to host the Dallas Mavericks at the Spectrum Center. It is an opportunity for them to better their record which stands at 1-3.
