By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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Result
For the second time in as many games, the Charlotte Hornets watched another double-digit fourth-quarter lead quickly evaporate as they fell to the Celtics, 90-87, on Friday, Nov. 10 in Boston. Kemba Walker led the way for Charlotte with a game-high 20 points, but it wasn’t enough to deter the hard-charging Celtics from notching their 11th-consecutive victory.
Turning Point
The fourth quarter was controlled entirely by the Celtics as they outscored Charlotte, 26-11, in the frame after holding the Hornets to just 4-of-20 shooting (20.0 percent) while forcing six turnovers. Charlotte got just one point from a player other than Kemba Walker in the final 12 minutes, finishing its four-game road trip without a victory.
Hornets Player of the Game (Pick up your Kemba Walker gear here)
Kemba Walker finished with game-high marks in scoring (20 points) and assists (season-high 11) to go along with five rebounds in the loss. This is the 29th points-assists double-double of Walker’s career, passing David Wesley for fifth place on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard.
Celtics Player of the Game
After Kyrie Irving exited the game in the first quarter (concussion protocol), Shane Larkin helped pick up the slack with a season-high 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting in just 17 minutes off the bench. Larkin had amassed 22 total points in 10 appearances this season heading into the night.
Game Notes
Frank Kaminsky recorded 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting and two rebounds off the bench… Rookie Dwayne Bacon chipped in 10 points and four rebounds… Dwight Howard racked up six points, a team-high 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks… Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned from a three-game absence, tallying eight points and five rebounds in 27 minutes of action… Cody Zeller had seven points and six rebounds (five offensive)… Charlotte held Boston to 11 first-quarter points, the lowest total allowed in any road game in franchise history… The Hornets shot just 6-of-22 from three-point range (27.3 percent) and 31-of-80 from the field overall (38.8 percent)… Charlotte also struggled from the charity stripe, knocking down just 19-of-33 free-throw attempts (57.6 percent).
Quote of the Night
“We started that third quarter with nothing. We played an energetic first half, not with great purpose, but very energetic. We came out in the third quarter with nothing and that game was lost as much in the third quarter as it was in the fourth quarter.” – Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford
Next Up
The Hornets return home to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers starting at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15 in Charlotte. The game can be seen on ESPN.