Boston Celtics vs Charlotte Hornets: Did the second-quarter burst decide it at Spectrum Center?

The Boston Celtics moved to 50-24 while the Charlotte Hornets fell to 39-36, and the Celtics left Spectrum Center with a 114-99 result.

First quarter

The Boston Celtics opened with a 27-21 edge as the C's hit 51 percent from the field for the game and held the Hornets to 43 percent.

The Celtics posted 50 total rebounds and limited the Hive to 49, while the Hornets managed just 2 steals to the Celtics’ 6.

Second quarter

The Green Machine turned a 36-28 second quarter into separation, and the Celtics’ 14 made 3 pointers on 41 percent shooting pushed the gap after Charlotte went 12-for-43 from deep at 28 percent.

The Boston Celtics vs Charlotte Hornets recap centered on Boston’s 52 points in the paint and 23 assists, while Charlotte countered with 19 assists and 40 points in the paint.

Third quarter

The Celtics matched the Hornets at 26-26 in the third quarter, and Boston’s 11 points off turnovers came against Charlotte’s 7 as the Hornets finished with 12 turnovers.

Boston’s 7 total turnovers supported an assists-to-turnover ratio of 4.6, while Buzz City’s 1.73 ratio reflected 11 player turnovers.

Fourth quarter

The Celtics closed the fourth quarter 25-24 and finished with a biggest lead of 20, while the Hornets’ biggest lead was 3 and their time leading was 3:24.

A Boston Celtics vs Charlotte Hornets scoreline review also tracked Boston’s 27 bench points against Charlotte’s 36, and the Celtics’ 16 made free throws on 73 percent against the Hornets’ 15 on 79 percent.

Postgame notes

Jayson Tatum’s previous-game line featured 32 points and 8 assists, Payton Pritchard’s previous-game line had 28 points and 6 assists, and Neemias Queta’s previous-game line included 17 points and 8 rebounds.

A Boston Celtics match rating lens also points to the team’s 124.35 offensive rating and 106.04 defensive rating in this one, and the Boston Celtics final whistle reaction starts with Boston leading for 43:27.

The Celtics will be on TV at 7:30 PM EDT on 3/30/2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, with NBCS-BOS and FDSSE carrying the broadcast against the Atlanta Hawks.

Keep it locked on the next game window, and share this article with Celtics fans who track every quarter.