The Boston Celtics didn’t just win their preseason finale — they annihilated the Charlotte Hornets 127-99.
Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics leading all scorers in the game with 20 points, including going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Even with the offensive outpouring, the Celtics’ defense was even more impressive. Recording 22 steals, Boston eclipsed its regular season record of 21 in the win.
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The starting five of Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown accounted for 10 of the 22, with the bench collecting the other 12.
Coming off the bench, center Neemias Queta was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field while collecting seven rebounds.
“Just wanted to come out here and be active on the ball,” Queta said after the game, as seen on NBC Sports Boston. “… I feel like our defensive presence showed up from the beginning and we kept it up all the way to the end. We want to be able to be present on both ends of the floor and we want to be really big on defense this year.
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The Celtics weren’t just having their way on the court, the players were having fun on the bench as well, standing on their feet and cheering on their teammates.
“Vibes a great right now,” Queta said. “Everybody’s rolling. Guys are making plays for each other and we’re just excited to be part of the Boston Celtics and we just want to be able to win games and be able to have fun with it.”
Boston will look to continue their winning ways when they match up against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. Tip-off from the Big Apple is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Featured image via Jim Dedmon/USA TODAY Sports Images
