Celtics Secure 60th Win, Crush Hornets 130-94

For the first time in over a decade, the Celtics have stacked back-to-back 60-win seasons—and they’re not done yet.

After a close first half, the Celtics pulled away in a 130-94 blowout win over the Hornets on Friday night, marking their first back-to-back 60-win seasons since 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Boston’s starters – minus Jaylen Brown – returned to the lineup for likely the last time of the regular season after sitting out during Thursday’s loss against Orlando.

The C’s struggled to find their rhythm early, opening the game just 5-of-17 from beyond the arc taking a one point leading into the half.

But Boston came out on fire in the third quarter, hitting 12-of-21 from beyond the arc as six different players knocked down a three. 

The third quarter was especially explosive, with the Celtics pouring in 37 points. By the end of the frame, Boston had stretched its lead to 16, heading into the fourth.

Derrick White chipped in 19 points along with 3 blocks, while Jayson Tatum once again flirted with a triple-double—finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Al Horford added a double-double of his own with 13 points and 11 boards. With the game well in hand, head coach Joe Mazzulla gave his starters the fourth quarter off.

After building that lead, it was time for the bench to shine. Boston’s reserves extended the lead as Pritchard exploded for a game-high 22 points. Houser, dropped 20 points sinking six threes off the bench. 

“Players put pressure on a defense in certain ways…Everybody has a different way of creating 2-on-1s, and those guys have done a great job of creating 2-on-1s, whether it’s for teammates or themselves,” said Mazulla when asked about the gravity of Pritchard and Hauser’s shooting ability. 

As the bench keeps the momentum going, the Celtics look to add one more to the win column as they will meet Charlotte again for the last regular-season game in Boston on Sunday.

With the season winding down, Friday likely marked the final look at a full-strength Celtics roster before the playoffs. Boston now shifts its focus to potential first-round matchups in the Eastern Conference. 

“It’s been a lot of fun, honestly, this year…we have such a joy and a connection with each other…I can say that everybody has felt valued,” said Tatum, reflecting on the Celtics’ regular-season success. “The goal is a championship.”

Securely planted as the 2nd seed, the Celtics won’t know their opponent until Tuesday, where they will play the winner of the Magic-Hawks Play-In Tournament game.