The Boston Celtics host the Charlotte Hornets on 10/14/26 in the third preseason game for both teams, and the question hanging over the night is whether Boston will again lean on reserves or finally open the door to its regular starters. The Celtics are 2-0 after beating the Cavaliers and the 76ers, while the Hornets arrive at 1-1 after losing to the Nets and beating the Bucks.
That is why this Celtics game has drawn attention even before the opening tip. Boston has four preseason games and only one remains after this one, at Philadelphia on Friday, so the next lineup choice will say as much about timing as it does about talent. The Celtics started Conley, Scheierman, Walsh, Gonzalez and Garza in their first game, then went with Walsh, White, Tatum, George and Robinson in the second, leaving open whether the front end of the rotation stays split or gets closer to regular-season form.
Availability adds more uncertainty. Devin Carter is a game time decision with an illness, Ron Harper, Jr is a game time decision after missing both games so far with a shoulder injury, and Luka Garza is listed as a game time decision after an inadvertent elbow to the nose against the 76ers left him bleeding and sent him to the locker room late in the fourth quarter. Grayson Allen missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury and is also a game time decision, while Christian Anderson, Jr has missed the first two preseason games with an ankle sprain and is a game time decision. Kylan Boswell, Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams are listed as out.
The Hornets have their own lineup clues after starting Schroder, Allen, McNeeley, Reid and Diabate in their loss to the Nets, then swapping in Miller for Allen when they beat the Bucks. That mix fits a preseason picture in which clubs are still sorting roles, especially for a team like Charlotte that has added players such as Coby White, Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and Dennis Schroder while moving on from LaMelo Ball, Josh Green, Miles Bridges and Tre Mann. For Boston, the next decision comes fast: one more game on Friday, and then the preseason is almost gone.
