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Without Kyrie, Boston Celtics battle back 18 down to win 11th straight

By Gio Rivera

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 08: Head coach Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics reacts during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden on November 8, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 08: Head coach Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics reacts during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden on November 8, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics battled through 18-point Charlotte Hornets lead to win their  11th straight game despite the early 1st quarter loss of point guard Kyrie Irving. 

Cold and sluggish are two words which can best describe the Boston Celtics start to their 11th straight victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night at home.

Boston already was down, taking the floor without the teams rebound leader Al Horford available for action, however the Celtics would lose another crucial lineup piece in Kyrie Irving due to a concussion symptom protocol.

Irving collided with big man, Aron Baynes early in the 1st quarter and was struck in the head by Baynes’ elbow, leaving Irving in a rough and bloody shape.

First Half Blues

Just 11 points were what Boston came up with as they opened the night trailing the Hornets by 15 points following the 1st quarter; and that double-digit lead for Charlotte was a trend that made its way to the 4th quarter.

The Celtics shot 32.6% from the field and just 28.3% from the three. Boston’s dominant, young duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined to go 1/7 from the three ball themselves.

That wasn’t their only issue as the teams total 15 personal fouls was a higher combination than the teams 14 field goals made by half time.

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Boston’s resilience 

The Celtics have displayed their resilience yet again on Friday with key performances coming from their secondary unit as guard Shane Larkin came up big for Boston, leading the offense alongside Jayson Tatum with 16 points. Larkin played 16 minutes on the floor in which he shot 62.5% from the field.

Other key pieces included 6’9″ power forward Marcus Morris and 3rd-year Celtics guard, Terry Rozier as the two combined to score 29 points for the Celtics. Morris went for 14 points with 7 rebounds while Rozier added 15.

Morris also came up huge with some lock down defense on Hornet, Kemba Walker in a crucial 4th quarter possession.

After the game, Morris stated “I knew the step back was coming” and that he “locked [Walker] down”.

Next: Boston Celtics: The 50 Greatest Players of All Time

With the Celtics 11th win, Boston has tied the franchise record for the 4th longest win streak in team history. The Boston Celtics will go for 12 as they welcome the Toronto Raptors to the TD  Garden on Sunday. Tip-off from the parquet is set for 3:30 PM.

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