Hornets Lose Two Stars for Celtics Matchup

The Boston Celtics have a couple of more games to finish out the regular season. After locking up the second spot in the East, they don't have much to play for. Neither do LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets.

At this point, they just want to make sure that their guys are playing together and are doing so injury-free. An injury to a key player at this point would be a disaster.

Boston is just hoping to have their guys totally ready to go for the first round of the playoffs against an opponent still yet to be determined.

The Hornets are in a similar situation but on the opposite end of the spectrum. They also don't have much to play for, but they are not anywhere near the playoffs.

Charlotte just wants to make sure that none of their superstar players get hurt, either. They want to get their young players some minutes in the final games of the year.

The Celtics will be facing the Hornets without two of Charlotte's best players going against them. Both LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges will sit out this game.

Ball has been out for a while after undergoing season-ending surgery on his ankle. Bridges is out of this game because of left hip soreness.

That will make it easier for Boston to win this game, even though the Celtics don't need a lot of help to beat Charlotte. The Hornets are one of the worst teams in the entire league.

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Boston thinks that they can repeat as champions this season if they are able to get through the playoffs healthy. Health is the one thing that can derail this team.

The Celtics will have to continue to manage Jaylen Brown's knee injury. That is the biggest concern on the injury front as the playoffs loom in a couple of weeks.

For the Hornets, Ball averaged 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. Bridges is averaging 20.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.

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