Bradley helps Celtics move back into 8th in East with win over Hornets
The Boston Celtics held off a late charge from the Charlotte Hornets to escape with a crucial win in a game featuring two Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls.
Behind a 30-point effort from Avery Bradley, Boston downed Charlotte 116-104 on Monday to move back into eighth place in the crowded East playoff race.
"We knew we needed this game," Evan Turner, who scored 15 with five assists and six rebounds, told reporters. "Every game is important, so we came and toughed it out."
Boston came out gunning, and was ahead by as many as 22, but let the Hornets climb back into the game. Kemba Walker nailed a layup with 52 seconds remaining to make it a six-point contest, but Charlotte was unable to cut into the lead further, losing for the fourth time in its last five games.
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Walker led the Hornets with a team-high 28 points and dished out 12 assists.
The ever-changing East standings have witnessed the Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets all recently have a piece of the eighth seed. There's five teams battling for two spots with just over two weeks to go, setting up for a dramatic finish.
| Rank | Team | Record | Games back | Games remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Heat | 34-39 | +1.5 | 9 |
| 8 | Celtics | 33-41 | -- | 8 |
| 9 | Nets | 32-40 | (Bos. has tiebreaker) | 10 |
| 10 | Pacers | 32-41 | 0.5 | 9 |
| 11 | Hornets | 31-42 | 1.5 | 9 |
Boston gets the Pacers on Wednesday in what will be another important contest.