New Orleans Hornets (1-1) at Boston Celtics (3-0), 6 p.m.

Sports Network | November 1, 2009

(Sports Network) - The Boston Celtics will try to keep their red-hot start to the season intact tonight, when they close out a three-game homestand versus the New Orleans Hornets from TD Garden.

Boston is 3-0 for the first time since opening the 2007-08 NBA championship season with eight consecutive victories, and recently handed the Chicago Bulls a 118-90 loss on Friday. Eddie House and Paul Pierce each scored 22 points, and Ray Allen ended with 20 for Boston, which beat Chicago in seven games in an epic first-round playoff series last year.

Shelden Williams came off the bench to post 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Kevin Garnett contributed 16 points in a winning cause. The Celtics have won their first three games of the season by an average of 22.3 points.

"I don't worry about that," Boston coach Doc Rivers said of the blowout. "You know, the balance is going to happen. It's like I said, we've worked so hard on our defense and the offensive balance will happen. Right now we're so focused on offensively just moving the ball, making the extra pass, keeping the game simple."

New Orleans will shoot for consecutive wins after posting a 97-92 victory versus the Sacramento Kings on Friday in the Big Easy.

Chris Paul scored 31 points, including a 14-of-15 effort from the foul line, and Emeka Okafor slammed home the go-ahead points to lead the Hornets, who were coming off a 113-96 loss at San Antonio Wednesday. Okafor ended the night with 11 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.

"We won but how we played wasn't good enough," said New Orleans coach Byron Scott. "We allowed them to come in here and dominate. If we expect to be a good basketball team we have to be a good defensive and rebounding team and tonight we weren't. We got lucky and got a win."

The Hornets will also visit New York on their brief road trip.

Boston won both meetings with New Orleans a year ago and has won three straight and seven of the last 10 matchups in this series. The Hornets have lost two straight and four of their last five games in Beantown.