Celtics 114, Hornets 93: Tatum Leads and the Turnovers Pile Up
Boston shot 11-of-39 from three and still won by 21, forcing 30 Charlotte turnovers to move to 3-0 in the preseason. Tatum led with 19, Pritchard dished 11 assists, and Derrick White’s third-quarter exit is the thing to watch before the opener. Plus: our quiz and The Boston Made Take.
Dear Sir or Madam,
BOSTON, Oct. 15, 2026 — The Celtics did not shoot well on Wednesday night. They made 11 of 39 threes, which on most nights is a recipe for a long evening. It did not matter. Boston forced the Charlotte Hornets into 30 turnovers, scored 27 points off them, and pulled away for a 114-93 win at TD Garden to move to 3-0 in the preseason.
Five days after setting a franchise preseason scoring record against Philadelphia, this was a different kind of win, and maybe a more useful one. The offense sputtered. The defense carried the night anyway.
How it went
Boston led almost from the opening tip and was up 28-20 after one quarter, helped by seven Charlotte turnovers in the period. Oddly, the Celtics turned those seven giveaways into just two points, which kept the Hornets close longer than they should have been.
The game’s one real wobble came in the third quarter. Boston built an 18-point lead, then Charlotte ripped off a 14-3 run to get within six. The Celtics steadied, took an 85-77 lead into the fourth, and opened the final period on a 15-7 stretch that ended any doubt.
The box score, in plain English
- Jayson Tatum led everyone with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting, plus 8 rebounds and 6 assists, in roughly three quarters of work.
- Neemias Queta was efficient inside with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and Luka Garza added 14.
- Payton Pritchard scored only seven, but ran the offense with a game-high 11 assists and a single turnover.
- Mitchell Robinson grabbed 7 rebounds, three of them on the offensive glass, and blocked 3 shots.
- Hugo Gonzalez did not get in until the fourth quarter and hit a three when he did.
For Charlotte, Tidjane Salaün and Brandon Miller each scored 16. Miller started 1-of-9 in the first half before finding his rhythm after the break. Christian Anderson Jr. added 10 in his preseason debut. The Hornets were actually the better outside-shooting team at 16-of-42, but they scored just 20 points in the paint and could not hold onto the ball. Charlotte’s own team site noted it had committed only 14 turnovers in a win over Milwaukee three days earlier. It was the Hornets’ sixth straight preseason loss to Boston.
The one thing to watch: Derrick White
The only worrying moment of the night came in the third quarter, when Derrick White landed awkwardly while contesting a Dennis Schröder drive and walked off gingerly. NBC Sports Boston’s live coverage said the situation would “bear watching.” As of this writing, we have not seen a team update on the nature or severity of any injury, so we are not going to guess. What is confirmed is simply that he left the floor and that the next few days of practice reports will tell the story.
White’s value to this team is hard to overstate. He is the connective tissue on both ends, the guard who switches onto bigger players and still hits the corner three. With the regular-season opener less than a week away, the Celtics will be careful no matter what the diagnosis turns out to be.
What we know, and what we don’t
The score, the turnover numbers, the shooting splits and the individual stat lines above were reported by both NBC Sports Boston and the Hornets’ official team site, and they match. White’s status is the open question. So is how the rotation shakes out once the games count, which is something preseason minutes only hint at.
The Boston Made Take
Defense travels. Hot shooting nights come and go. A team that can force 30 turnovers on a night when it misses 28 threes has a floor that should keep it in almost any game. That matters more in April than a record-setting 144 in October.
Pritchard as a playmaker is a real weapon. We usually talk about him as a scorer. Eleven assists and one turnover is a reminder that he can run a second unit, or a first one, without the offense falling apart.
The big-man depth is quietly good. Queta, Garza and Robinson combined for 30 points, 3 blocks and a lot of second chances. Size is not a weakness on this roster.
Hold the celebrations until Tuesday. Three preseason wins are fun. They are also preseason wins. The question that matters now is whether White is healthy for Detroit.
Boston closes the preseason Friday in Philadelphia, then opens the regular season Tuesday, Oct. 20, in Detroit.
Celtics quiz: Hornets at the Garden
Tap an answer to reveal the explanation. Your score appears at the end.
Talk it over
- Was the 30-turnover performance a sign of an elite defense, or a sign of a Hornets team still finding itself?
- If Derrick White misses time, who should absorb his minutes, and does it change the starting lineup?
- Should Pritchard’s role grow beyond sixth man this season?
Sources
- Celtics-Hornets recap: C’s improve to 3-0 in preseason with win over Charlotte — NBC Sports Boston
- Turnovers Hold Back Hornets In Road Loss To Boston — Charlotte Hornets / NBA.com
- Game Recap: Celtics 114, Hornets 93 — NBA.com
- Hornets vs. Celtics box score — ESPN
Featured image: AI-generated illustration (DeepAI). Boston Made is not affiliated with the Boston Celtics or the NBA.
