Celtics defeat Hornets to move back into final playoff spot

CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Avery Bradley had 30 points and eight rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 116-104 on Monday night for an important Eastern Conference victory.

Evan Turner added 15 points, while Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart each had 14 as the Celtics won for the 10th time in the last 16 games.

Boston moved back into eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, a few percentage points ahead of Brooklyn in the battle for the final playoff spot.

Kemba Walker led a furious fourthquarter comeback that fell short, finishing with 28 points and 12 assists. Gerald Henderson added 17 points for Charlotte, which has dropped four of its last five games.

The Celtics built a 19-point, fourthquarter that the Hornets cut to six behind Walker. But the Celtics closed out the game with some clutch free throws to even the series with the Hornets at 2-2.

The Celtics led 56-44 at the half and pushed the lead to 22 behind Bradley’s 15 third-quarter points.

The frustration of a disappointing season seemed to set in for the Hornets late in the third when Walker drove on a fast break and his layup was rejected. Upset there wasn’t a foul called, Walker stopped in his tracks and didn’t hustle back on defence. The Celtics made him pay on the other end as Bradley knocked down a three-pointer to give Boston an 18-point lead.

And early in the fourth quarter, Henderson was called for a flagrant foul when he shoved Gerald Wallace in the back. Down 19 in the fourth quarter, Charlotte mounted one last challenge when Walker ignited the crowd with a long-distance three to cut Boston’s lead to nine.