Chris Forsberg, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Celtics 106, Hornets 98: Thomas, Jerebko fuel Boston's comeback

BOSTON -- Go ahead and book that (refundable) hotel room in Atlanta (or Cleveland?) starting on April 17.

The Boston Celtics rallied from 16 down over the final 18 minutes of play, sparked by a small-ball lineup bookended by newcomers Isaiah Thomas and Jonas Jerebko, and emerged with a 106-98 triumph over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night at a rocking TD Garden.

With the win, Boston pulls even with the Hornets and makes things just a little bit more interesting in the race for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics, once up 10 with 5:27 to play in the first half, watched the Hornets embark on a 25-1 run spanning into the third quarter. The Celtics couldn't buy a basket until they went small and got a spark from Thomas, Jerebko, and Jae Crowder -- three players acquired during in-season trades.

Thomas relentlessly attacked the basket while scoring a team-high 28 points on 9-of-22 shooting (8 of 10 at free-throw line) while adding seven assists over 31:24. Jerebko came off the bench to score 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting with 10 rebounds over 23:51.

Mo Williams scored a game-high 31 points for the Hornets.

Bradley provides a spark: Avery Bradley helped light the fuse on Boston's comeback with his shooting. He finished with 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting. The Celtics' other four starters combined for 27 points total.

Loose balls: Boston stuck with a nine-man rotation and rookie James Young got extended time with the team's fourth-quarter lineup. ... Luigi Datome, Phil Pressey, Shavlik Randolph, and Gerald Wallace were all healthy DNPs. ... Boston connected on 47.6 percent of its 3-point attempts (10 of 21 overall).

What it means: The Celtics improve to 23-33, while the Hornets fall to the same mark. Boston has now won three straight and seven of its last 10 overall. The Celtics close a three-game homestand by hosting the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.

^ Back to Top ^