The Boston Celtics improved to 3-0 in the preseason on Wednesday night, defeating the Charlotte Hornets 114-93 at TD Garden. While Charlotte was without second-year guard Kon Knueppel, it was a representative lineup for former Celtics assistant and now Hornets head coach Charles Lee. 

Here's what you need to know about the win: 

A sneak peek at the Opening Night starting five? 

For the second straight game, Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla started Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Mitchell Robinson. With the starters' status in question for Friday's preseason finale in Philadelphia, could this preview what the lineup will look like on Tuesday in Detroit? 

While it could certainly be a sign of things to come, WEEI's Justin Turpin noted that last season's opening-night starting five, Payton Pritchard, White, Sam Hauser, Jaylen Brown, and Neemias Queta, did not start any preseason games together. 

Big men lead the way

It was a fantastic night for the Celtics big men trio of Robinson, Queta, and Luka Garza. In 17 minutes, Robinson scored 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting. The former Knick added seven rebounds and three blocks. With 16 points, Queta was the third-highest scorer for Boston in the 21-point victory. Garza added 14 points in 14 minutes on 5-for-8 shooting. 

Tatum looks the part

It was a fantastic performance for the five-time All-NBA First Teamer, who led the way for the Celtics with a game-high 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting. In addition to being the game's leading scorer, Tatum led the Celtics with eight rebounds and finished second in assists with six, playing 29 minutes. 

 Payton Pritchard struggles from the field

Fresh off a two-year, $44.2-million extension agreed to on Tuesday afternoon, Pritchard struggled from the field, scoring only seven points on 3-of-11 shooting. However, he made a concerted effort to spread the ball around amidst his struggles. Tied with Tatum for a team-high 29 minutes, Pritchard racked up a team-leading 11 assists. 

Paul George continues to struggle

After a 3-for-10 shooting night in Saturday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers, George continued to struggle from the field. The 36-year-old veteran scored just five points on 2-for-10 shooting (1-for-7 from three). 

Oh OK Paul George pic.twitter.com/tuu3d3MQVQ

— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) October 15, 2026

While George has struggled to find his shot, he's assimilated well into his new team and has consistently found himself in good positions on both ends of the floor, including forcing a turnover that led to a no-look pass to Tatum for an easy lay-in. 

Up next for the Celtics

As they get closer to Tuesday night's regular-season opener against the Detroit Pistons, the Celtics will head to Philadelphia on Friday for a preseason finale against Jaylen Brown and the 76ers. Tip-off from Xfinity Mobile Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.