Fresh off a double-digit win on Sunday over the Milwaukee Bucks, it was time for the Charlotte Hornets to go on their first road trip of the year.
While still preseason, Charlotte was set to head to Boston to open their road trip, with a matchup against the Celtics at TD Garden on Wednesday night. Charlotte would be missing Coby White, Kon Knueppel, and Grant Williams again, and Grayson Allen was an extra addition to the Hornets injury list for Wednesday.
However, the team would be getting some reinforcements as the 2026 18th overall pick, Christian Anderson, would be able to suit up for the first time as a Hornet.
Despite a fourth quarter run that was able to trim a double-digit Boston lead to just five points, the Celtics were able to put together an extended 22-8 run that was able to put the game away for the Hornets.
They fell to Boston 114 to 93, with their next game on Friday in Memphis.
Christian Anderson's NBA Debut
The first person that Charles Lee looked for on his bench on Wednesday night? Christian Anderson.
Anderson showed no lack of confidence in his unofficial NBA debut, where he was able to get going with a quick mid-range shot a little over a minute into his appearance. The scoring did not stop there, though, as Anderson hit his first three pointer just over a minute later, and then hit his second a few minutes after that.
Similar to the first half, Anderson hit a mid-range shot shortly after checking in for the second half. As the third quarter was winding down, Anderson had 10 points while shooting 4-5 from the field, and 2-3 from three.
Anderson did not end up scoring in the fourth quarter, and finished his night with 10 points, shooting 4-8 from the field.
Tidjane Salaün
After struggling in his first two preseason games, former sixth overall pick Tidjane Salaün looked exactly like what the Hornets wanted to see on Wednesday night.
He recorded 16 points, shooting 5-9 from the field and 4-8 from three. While he turned the ball over four times and fouled 3 times, Salaün's offense was significantly improved from where it was on Sunday. Going to Memphis on Friday, it will be interesting to see whether or not Salaün keeps building on his performance tonight.
Offensive Rebounds
In Boston's last preseason game, the team hauled in 19 offensive rebounds which turned into 34 second chance points for the Celtics. With Charlotte being another offensive rebound heavy team, it was interesting to wonder how Moussa Diabaté and the Hornets would deal with the capabilites that Boston has on the offensive glass.
To say they lived up to the task is an understatement. Through the first three quarters, Charlotte held Boston to just four offensive rebounds, and only nine second chance points. At the end of the night, those numbers were just 9 offensive rebounds, and 19 second chance points.
While the Hornets were unable to walk away with the victory, their ability to limit a strong offensive team on the glass is something that should be taken away as a win.
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