South Charlotte Today

A couple of costly slip-ups down the stretch wiped away the Charlotte Hornets’ perfect Summer League record on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in an 89-84 loss to the Boston Celtics at COX Pavilion in Las Vegas, NV.

Top Hornets Performers: Veteran Zavier Simpson poured in a game-high 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting, two rebounds, and six assists in the defeat, a performance that gives him three 15-point games in his past four appearances. For the second straight outing, Matt Morgan totaled 15 points off the bench, this time doing so on a slightly more efficient 6-of-10 shooting.

Boston Capitalizes in Crunch Time

Trailing 80-79 with 1:07 remaining, the Celtics got a big go-ahead pull-up 3-pointer from Jahmi’us Ramsey, then forced an empty possession on the defensive end. After Anton Watson wrangled an offensive board for Boston, Charlotte’s Marcus Garrett mistakenly fouled Jaelen House with 36 seconds still to go. Once House hit both free throws, Simpson rolled a wide-open layup off the rim and into the hands of Baylor Scheierman, sealing the Celtics’ victory.

Cashing in on Second-Chance Opportunities

While Charlotte finished with a 20-19 edge in second-chance points, there was a pivotal extra possession right before Ramsey’s 3-pointer that proved to be decisive. James Banks III corralled a missed Simpson fadeaway and had an open look at an 11-foot floater that just didn’t drop. If he makes it, Hornets lead by three and have a chance to set their defense.

Celtics Make the Most of Takeaways

Had the Hornets limited their 16 turnovers – five in the fourth quarter – or at least mitigated the 24 points that Boston scored off them, they probably could have pulled out this win. Alas, Boston’s defense cranked up significantly in the fourth as ball-handlers like Simpson, Morgan, and Nick Smith Jr. were met with relentless pressure anytime they stepped over half-court.

Postgame Quote

“We’re definitely a tight-knit group. We love each other and we’re still learning. Maybe we make some mistakes this game but hopefully that saves us from the next game. We can learn from this and try not to make the same mistakes next game.” – Hornets’ forward Brandon Slater  

What’s Next?

Following a day off, the Hornets will face the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, July 19 beginning at 11 PM ET at COX Pavilion. Catch all the action on ESPN2 or Bally Sports Southeast.

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