The Boston Celtics are 11-2 and currently own the best record in the NBA. On Monday night, the Celtics will look to extend their six-game winning streak when they take on the Charlotte Hornets in North Carolina.

After playing on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday and Boston's game against Charlotte being the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics will not be at full strength. The C's announced on Monday afternoon that big man Al Horford and guard Derrick White will both miss the showdown against the Hornets.

Fortunately, neither Horford's absence, nor White's absence, are due to injury. White will miss the game because of personal reasons, which makes sense given the birth of his second child a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, Horford rarely plays both games in a back-to-back scenarios since the Celtics want to keep the 37-year-old well-rested for the end of the year.

On Sunday night, White and Horford had relatively quiet games in an ugly 102-100 victory over the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies. Although the Grizzlies were ravaged by injuries and entered the night with a 3-9 record, they gave the Green Team a good fight. Boston's talent triumphed in the end, as center Kristaps Porzingis notched 26 points and an incredible six blocks.

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The Celtics will once again face an underwhelming team that's caught the injury bug on Monday night. The Hornets will however have 2022 All-Star LaMelo Ball, former Celtic Gordon Hayward, and rookie standout Brandon Miller available to play.

While Boston might be eyeing its game on Wednesday against the new-look Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics can't overlook the Hornets. Their win streak was nearly ruined by underestimating the Grizzlies, as Boston let Memphis hang around all game before squeaking out the win in the final seconds.

On the second night of a back-to-back, coasting might not be as effective for the C's. They'll need All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to lead the charge against the Hornets, who are still searching for their first big win on the new campaign.