No high hopes for this game. All I want is for the kids to get some more experience. The worst part about the game for me is that LP has the Boston feed, which means suffering through the blatherings of Tommy Heinsohn for the next couple of hours.
We already lost to the Nets nothing can be worse than that
17 win season was much much much worse
The Boston accent makes Heinsohn the worst
He doesn't have a Boston accent though
He's not from Boston
I know this. But you spend enough time in an area, you can pick up the accent
Mike Gorman has a Boston accent. Heinsohn has a Jersey accent
If you pahk yah cah in hahvahd yahd Then yer not in joisey
There's a lot of things that make him the worst Namely being the Homer champion of all time. His commentating never has any substance and is more biased than Rush Limbaugh.
If Boston continues to be bored, I think we'll win this one.
KG is getting old
Stupid pass Beno what was Spencer going to do getting the ball at the 3 point line on a break
Huck up a 3, duh.
Landry is destroying KG
Wow, Landry just put KG in a blender
KG's knees are made of peanut butter. It's not too hard nowadays.
I like Rondo Probably because every laker fan I know hates him so much
The way he runs pisses me off And his stupid 1 handed passes
I hate Big Baby way way way more
Ray has suuuuuch a sweet stroke
Rondo is a good highlighter
It's the chisel point head
Hawes beat kg for a rebound! This game is officially a moral victory. Time to turn of the game and relish.
I'm not saying we are playing well, or should be winning... But the Celts are getting away with mugging us everytime we drive the ball while the Kings pick up fouls for breathing on a Celt.
Refs helping us get more ping pong balls
We going to break 75 tonight?
I say yes due to extended garbage time
Safe to say garbage time has already started
Is this an NBA team?
Says so on their jersey's
Did Noc honestly just shoot that?
The 360 underhand flip from the FT line is not a high percentage shot?
Boston gets every little ticky tack foul. So ****in lame.
Every time we take it strong to the basket we're fouled and get nothing.
That's a freaking joke. The refs are almost making this unwatchable for me. I can deal with losing, and losing badly... But this is ridiculous.
I don't know why I keep watching this disaster. I guess that means I'm a true Kings fan, or perhaps I'm nuts. Perhaps they're the same thing.
Nate is giving Cisco fits...
Nate is fouling Cisco a lot. Benefits of being short, I guess
Our offense is in a funk
Missing your franchise player does that to you
20 point game
This might be worse than last night
How is Beno gonna get mauled like that and not one teammate gets in Big P****'s face?? Toughness my ***. This team is soft. I don't care how bad you're getting beat, you don't let some scrub like that body slam your guy like that.
In most states that would be considered assault
Yeah, but this is the Celts doing they are good at defense
Terrible call on Pierce there
And great reaction by Pierce that look was priceless
That was a pity call
Ray Allen always hit those 3s you want him to hit the least. Secondly, why can't Omri shoot anymore?
The Celtics are good. That's all I have to say.
Come on Kings! Make it close! Please! I don’t want to see Scalabrine in the game.
Celts have great FT defense
The Ping Pong Balls are looking real good
Ray has been money against us
Rondo 15 assists to 1 TO that's good
Very bold strategy Fall behind big so the Celtics stop playing, then make a run and hope they don’t have the same intensity as before
The refs are letting them MAUL landry
After watching this crap for 3 quarters, I want ping pong balls.
8 point game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We're not beatig them -- this is just arrogance personfied going on. Shut down all their main guys, throw garbage on the court. Total lack of respect. If it wouldn't hurt us I would actually like to beat them just to punsih them for the arrogance, but n the long run it would mean nothing.
Celtics are a bunch of ****ing cry babies. Shut up and play basketball!
A loss is a loss But life is much more enjoyable in a tank-free environment.
Even against a championship caliber team, the kings had the best big man on the floor! that’s gotta mean something going forward!
KG was the best big on the floor. He just didn't always play like it.
I don’t think the Celtics are a championship caliber team anymore
I didn't see the game. Perhaps I was lucky. Was Hawes injured? How come Garcia and Omri didn’t play much?
Hawes fell and aggravated his back.
Cisco had aggravated his wrist.
Omri aggravated Westpahl
[Discuss on CG Forums!]
at Sacramento Kings (24-48) at Boston Celtics (46-25)
Friday, March 26
7:30 PM ET
Game #72, Road Game #35
TV: CSN-CA, CSN-NE, NBA LP 756, 757
TD Garden
Referees: Scott Foster, Brian Forte, John Goble The Celtics beat the Kings 95-92 in Sacramento, but both teams have changed since then. Kevin Martin is gone. Omri Casspi has been moved to the bench in favor of Carl Landry. The Kings' talented rookie is out with an injury. On the Celtics side, Pierce and Garnett are healthier and playing better and Ray Allen is no longer distracted with trade talks. The Celtics' bench has added Nate Robinson and Michael Findley while losing Eddie House.
The Kings have lost their last two games while the Celtics come in hoping to win their second in a row. losing their last game to the Nets 93-79. The Kings are just 3-7 in their last 10 games and only7-29 on the road while the Celtics are 6-4 in their last 10 and 22-12 at home.
The Kings are out of the playoffs and right now have nothing to play for other than pride and a better draft pick. The Celtics are battling the Hawks for the 3rd spot in the East. They come into this game tied with the Hawks, who are playing the Sixers on Friday and should easily win so the Celtics need a win to keep pace.
Probable Starters PGSGSFPFC
Rajon Rondo/ Ray Allen/ Paul Pierce/ Kevin Garnett/ Kendrick Perkins
Key Matchups vs
Rajon Rondo vs Beno Udrih
Rondo's play is very important to the Celtics and he will need to be aggressive again in this game. If he plays like he is capable of playing, he should be able to have his way with Udrih on both ends of the court.
vs
Paul Pierce vs Donte Greene
In order to go far into the playoffs and have hopes of winning another championship, the Celtics need the Captain to play well. Pierce needs to continue to be aggressive and build on his success in recent games. He gives up 4 inches in height to Greene and so will have to use his strength and veteran wiles in this game to get the best of this matchup.
Honorable Mention
Kevin Garnett vs Carl Landry
We have been seeing improvements in KG's game as we go down the stretch and the last game was his best since he was injured. He has a height advantage in this game and we should see another big game from KG in this one.
Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense is a key to every game and it will be the key to winning the championship. The Celtics need to continue to strengthen their defense as they head down the stretch.
Play Team Ball - The Celtics need to move the ball and find the open man. When players try to do too much on their own, the Celtics struggle but when they concentrate on playing as a team, they are tough to beat.
Bench Play - The starters have been playing very well in recent games but the bench has been inconsistent. The reserves have to build their own identity and play better.
Crash the boards - The Celtics have been rebounding better recently and they must continue that trend in order to continue to win in both the regular season and especially in the playoffs. Every player must make a concerted effort to aggressively go after rebounds.
X-Factor
Overlooking the Kings
The Kings are one of the few teams that the Celtics will play down the stretch who are not a playoff team and are under .500. It would be easy to overlook them and that would be a mistake.
An oft overlooked bonus of team depth is limiting the drop off when a starter falls into early, or late for that matter, foul trouble. Last night we saw this ripple go even deeper as Carmelo Anthony drew an early flurry of fouls on Paul Pierce and then on his substitute Marquis Daniels. Enter the defensive specialist used less and less of late and whose season has been a roller coaster ride. Tony Allen had possibly his best game of this campaign. He turned in an efficient and effective performance by playing deny-the-ball and then physical on-the-ball defense against Denver's most explosive scorer. He kept the miscues down while slashing to the basket especially without the ball and providing a punitive outlet when the Nuggets converged on his teammates. Finally he provided a desperately needed 20 minutes and 5 fouls suppressing the mighty Melo in a game where his fellow swingmen stayed in foul trouble (Daniels 3 in just 6 minutes, Pierce 5 with 3 early ones).
One might note the irony of the timely emergence of three deep coverage at the small forward position which has been the most criticized flaw in the current Celtics aggregate. While there is still a deficit in size needed to control power-three's (think Rashad Lewis, Lamar Oden, or even LeBron), the depth to deal with finesse and skill players at this position seems to be in place and functional. From an offensive standpoint the depth has some significant similarities. Paul, Marquis, and Tony all thrive attacking the basket. While only Paul has a consistent outside shot, each of them pose a significant threat slashing toward the lane without the ball. All finish well and often draw a foul in addition to converting around the basket.
This depth issue has looked better and better as the starters have gotten healthier, Danny has added pieces at midseason, and several players morphed into altered roles. Nate has been a significant upgrade over House. Thus far he has shot better and certainly he handles the ball better. Perhaps most important he can create his own shot and the movement he forces from the defense creates opportunities for his teammates. His defense has been a pleasant surprise and the water-bug backcourt of Nate and Rondo has flashed glimpses of a whole new level of defensive pressure. Playing really short has obvious liabilities but sometimes you need takeaways and can't afford the 24-second cycle. If they can't force the steal or 8-second call, they still seriously impede the progress of the opponents getting into their offense and the half court vulnerability may have as little as a 10-second lifespan. His addition along with Finley has allowed Doc to play the second group as a unit with adequate firepower, ball handling, and outside shooting.
Finley has been a surprisingly beneficial addition. His shooting range fits much better with either Tony or Marquis who, when played together, left so little outside threat that defenses packed into the lane dared the slashers to break the scrum. Michael has picked up the offensive and defensive schemes much faster than most new Celtics and displays the best aspects of experience--good court spacing, finding the open man, an awareness of the shot clock, and anticipation to help on defense and close off the passing lanes. It is hard to know for sure but there may also be a positive side effect from the outside attack of Finley and Robinson that has encouraged Wallace to rein in his errant long-distance bombing.
These additions have been positive but hardly tell the whole story. Part of the improved depth situation has been wrought by the role changes achieved by several players. Big Baby has managed to shift from his Garnett-replacement act of the end of last season to return to energizer bunny off the bench. Often criticized for his rebounding, or lack thereof, he has become the designated board crasher of the second unit. Rather than leaning on his mid-range jumper like last April and May, he has unleashed quite an array of shots inside 10 feet. Even the new knock on Davis, that he stubbornly forces up shots inside in a crowd, has been less evident of late as he seems more willing to recycle the possession by kicking it outside when surrounded. While he picks up about as many blocking calls as charges, in either case the effect is some opponent slamming into nearly 300 pounds which has to dampen their enthusiasm a bit.
At least as important as Big Baby's willing resumption of his bench role has been Rasheed Wallace spending significantly more time in the blocks rather than beyond the circle where he is having a career-low year. Now the second unit has a low post attack to balance the outside shooting of Finley and Robinson, the slashing of Daniels or Tony Allen, and the (massive) pick and roll or pop of Davis. Rasheed may also finally be rounding into something resembling NBA game shape.
It has been a long haul to get all the pieces gathered and healthy enough to participate. The whole seems to be meshing and it seems reasonable to hope that these final few weeks of games can meld the whole into a team that exceeds the sum of the parts. Last night the Celtics assured themselves of a spot in the playoffs. Seems timely, don't you just love it when a plan comes together.
I was surprised at how down on their own team the Nuggets fans were. I mean, they are second in the West and have just had their first 3 game losing streak of the season. They are missing their coach and one of their key players and yet many of them are jumping ship on the team. As for the Celtics, they looked good tonight. Good solid win over one of the top teams in the West.
Rondo will try and push the pace on offense. This will be a good time to get Lawson minutes because he is the one nuggets’ point guard that can stay in front of rondo on defense. Denver will need to rebound at both ends of the court to have any chance to win.
I think we will win this game... We should focus better. Boston is far removed from themselves of 2 years ago.
Loss .I think I might skip this game
Carmelo is about to go on a tear like never seen before. It starts against Boston. This isn't a jinx. He's about to be better than Lebron
I rekon well win this one Boston aint the same team they were 2 years ago
I'm thinking this one doesn't turn out too well for the Nugs. Too much drama going on. But then again, they do seem to show up for games against good teams.
This is gonna be a blowout loss... Team is fatigued and JR is gonna keep the nickname "Can't Make Shit" Smith
I don’t think the Nuggets stand much of a chance tonight, but that doesn’t mean I’m not rooting for them.
Boston isn’t a championship contender anymore, but they’re still a pretty good team.
For the Nuggets second game of a five-game road trip, they’ll be playing at a nursing home tonight… errr…I mean the TD Banknorth Garden!
Once you get past the KG illegal screens and his occasional barking on all fours..i’d say this should be a good game.
I can't watch a game against a competitor thinking the Nugs will choke so I'll side with the guy that said Melo is going to start his playoff swagger and throw these Celtics into the harbor.
I hate playing Boston and their boring, very frustrating style of basketball.
After that disgrace of officiating yesterday I hope you guys are ready for some Dick Bavetta!!!
Egregious no call on billups followed by egregious call on JR
I don't know about you guys however the more I watch the more I'm coming to the conclusion that this shit is fixed
I was 1 minutes away from being pleased by the officiating for an entire quarter
Pierce is on pace for 48 points, 8 assist, and 8 rebounds.. SOMEONE GUARD HIM.
Someone guard anybody
Davis reminds me of the fat/obese kid at the local playground basketball court. Wait a second, he IS that kid!!
Hey look it's Nate "Ive won 3 slam dunk contest because I'm 3 feet tall" Robinson
He's 3 feet tall? I always thought he was 2 feet
I hate Nate Robinson So punkish. And he can hit 3s.
Can we say "third loss in a row" I can
Unless the Celtics choke the 2nd half
Ray, Tony and malik pick your Allen
Sigh...can we switch Allens at half time?
61 points? No D Boston defends. That's the difference
We don't have the size or quickness to keep up They have gotten all layups. They haven’t tried hard except in very small spurts. We cannot win unless the bench comes back and is somehow amazing
Really... Are we getting out-run-and-gunned by guys who are too old to even be playing at the Y?!
Come out firing in the 3rd the Celtics will fold in the 2nd half
Boston has 30 points in the paint interior defense anyone?
Keep it close the Celtics will fold in the last 5 minutes. Plus we can always resort to hack a rondo
Garnett took like 7 un-dribbled steps to the hoop on his missed layup that Perkins put back
Birdman is slower than an injury-plagued Garnett
NBA needs a mercy rule
God I hate Paul Pierce he is such a piece of shit. He is so overrated and he thinks he is so great. When the truth is he is an average player who looks good because he has Garnett and Allen
Rondo gets away with palms and travels more than anyone not named Lebron. Iverson got called for it all the time. Reputation I guess
The Celts are flubbing a lot of layups. A chance still exists for the Nuggies, but it’s a tall order
Lots of layup flubbery in this game
Give the Celts credit but Denver really should have won this game
Worst offensive rebounding team in the league got 17 on us tonight
Rondo has same amount of rebounds as Nuggets " big " men
Can't believe we let the geriatric Celtics beat us. So much for 2nd seed. Now Toronto is better than the Knicks and Orlando is better than Boston and we could have a 5 game losing streak on this trip.
at Nuggets (47-23) at Celtics (45-25)
Wednesday, March 24
7:00 PM ET
Game #71, Road Game #34
TV: ESPN, CSN-NE, ASE2, RTV
Radio: WEEI, KCKK
TD Garden
Referees: Dick Bavetta (UGH!), Marc Davis, Derek Richardson
The Celtics return home after a very tough and moderately successful road trip where they won 2 of 3. The Celtics have had more success on the road this season than they have at home, but they are riding a 3 game home win streak into this game. Those three wins were all blowouts, but they were also against sub-500 teams. Denver on the other hand has a better record than the Celtics and is making a strong push to overtake the Lakers for first in the West.
The Nuggets are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have a 17-18 record on the road after their loss to the Knicks last night. The Celtics are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have a 21-12 record at home. The Nuggets are 5.5 games behind LA with the Lakers set to go on a tough road trip and so Denver would love to move up in the standings with a win in this one. The Celtics are still tied with the Hawks for the 3rd spot in the East. They missed a good opportunity to pull ahead when the Hawks lost to the Bucks on Monday. The Celtics need to take care of teams in this upcoming 6 game home stand that begins with the Nuggets and ends with the Cavs, because they can't depend on the Hawks to lose many games down the stretch.
The Nuggets are playing in the second of back to back games, having lost 109-104 to the Knicks in NY last night . The Celtics have had one day off after their tough road trip to get a little rest and so hopefully they will be ready for this one. The Celtics lost to the Nuggets 114-105 in Denver and they should be looking to send a message that they can beat this team should they meet again in the finals. And if the Knicks could beat them, the Celtics certainly should be able to, that is unless Bavetta has other plans.
Probable Starters PGSG SF PFC
Rajon Rondo/Ray Allen/ Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett/Kendrick Perkins
Probable Starters PG SGSFPFC
Chauncey Billups / Aaron Afflalo /Carmelo Anthony/ Nene Hilario/Johan Petro Key Matchups vs
Rajon Rondo vs Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups is one of the top PGs in the league and he isn't known as Mr Big Shot for nothing. Rondo has been playing very well and the Celtics will need him to continue his strong and aggressive play in this game, especially on the defensive end.
vs
Paul Pierce vs Carmelo Anthony
This should be a very good matchup as both players are tough and play hard. Both are strong and can hit the outside shot as well as take it to the hoop. Melo has been playing very well and scoring in bunches. Pierce's defense will be needed even more than his offense.
Honorable Mention
Kevin Garnett vs Nene
Nene has been playing very well this season and KG has been looking a lot better. The Celtics will need a strong defensive effort to keep Nene in check.
Keys to the Game Defense - The Celtics have won their last 3 home games and the first two games on the road trip with their defense. They seem to have found the defensive urgency that has been lacking in many games this season. They slipped up a bit in Utah and allowed them to hit way too many open shots. They need to keep that defensive intensity as they being this stretch of home games.
Focus for 48 Minutes - The Celtics can't afford to let up against a team like the Nuggets. Any loss of focus against the Nuggets would open the door for them to make a big run. The Celtics must come out strong and not let up until the final buzzer sounds. They have to come out in the 3rd quarter with more focus and urgency than they did in Utah.
Rebound The Nuggets have some very strong rebounders on their team and the Celtics have got to attack the boards in order to prevent second chance points and fast breaks by the Nuggets.
Take Care of the Ball Careless turnovers have been plaguing the Celtics, especially in the 3rd quarter. They must take better care of the ball and avoid the sloppy passes that have been picked off on a regular basis in recent games.
X-Factors
Back to Back on the Road and Bavetta
The Nuggets are playing in back to back games on the road. Good teams are perfectly capable of winning in this situation. The Celtics did it in Dallas on their recent road trip. But it does open the door just a little bit for the home team. However, with Stern's "go to guy" on the job, it will depend on whether he wants the Celtics to lose. After all, we stand in the path of Stern's dream puppet matchup in the finals.
I have been looking to the 1969 Celtics for inspiration all this season. That team was too old. That team had injuries all year. Their window was closed. That team came into the playoffs with the worst record of any team and no home court advantage in any series. Yet, despite all odds, they won the championship that season.
Teams no longer fear this year's Celtics team. They have been swept by the Hawks. They were beat by the Nets. They have been counted out by most people as having no chance at the championship this season. I am not ready to give up yet. To quote Kevin Garnett: "Anything's Possible!" Remember the 1969 Celtics and don't give up yet.
It definitely isn't as much fun gathering these when we are losing. But there are always some good comments either way. All in all, Jazz fans are a pretty good bunch. Definitely better than most of the other teams we play
Jazz win comfortably.
I wouldn't say comfortable either. Jazz win by less than 8.
Even though Boston has had struggles lately they shouldn't be taken lightly. They're coming into this game with some confidence after beating Dallas on the road, they also play better on the road than they do at home. I say the Jazz pull out a win but it won't be easy.
I'm ready to see some Fes / KG action.
I was thinking the same thing. I doubt it will happen but I would love to see Fes get into KGs head.
We lose by 14. I have a feeling it's going to be ugly. Very ugly.
Huge game. This should be an emotional close game for most of the night.
Jazz know what is on the line. Boston just beat Dallas on the road.
I don't think they can do it again in SLC.
How short are jazz fans' memories? The speed with which we fluctuate back and forth from, "wow, I forgot how good AK can be and how unbeatable the jazz are when he's playing at his ever-versatile best" to "we should have traded the sandbaggin' glass-man" is just staggering.
All told, I like our chances in "revenge games" and it's obviously that the team remembers the Boston beatdown.) and revenge we shall get!!!!
We gonna take it to them, and we are gonna beat them
I don't like to critisize a player for being sick, but how many times has Fes been out with the flu this year? If you're sick with the flu, you're sick with the flu, but after the 3rd or 4th time maybe you need to do a better job taking care of yourself. As a result, we got a d-league center going up against Big Baby and Big Baby's taking it to him.
Glen Davis forces boozer out with a offensive foul than scores 9 points in 4 minutes
We're not going to beat the refs AND the Celtics tonight
I almost wish the league had suspended Sloan because tonight was the league's real penalty against the Jazz. Refs stick together, there's no doubt in my mind they had an agenda this first half.
Yeah, I don't bitch about officiating much, but this has to be some of the most horribly incompetent NBA officiating I've ever seen.
Rondo's "and 1!" yell is much more high pitched than Boozer's
Hahaha, he sounds like a girl every now and then! Just listen to him scream for the outlet pas. If you watch it, it's hilarious. Sounds like a squeeking mouse.
Big Baby Davis, is going to foul out our entire front line.
Should we start a pool? How long till Jerry shoves another ref? I give him till 3 minutes in the 3rd quarter.
How was that not an offensive foul? Is Dick Bavetta here again?
Retribution calls for Jerry's shove?
Are we gonna get a call ever again?
Celtics have blown a lot of double digit leads this season.
KG consistently throws his hip/knee out when setting as screen. On the times that he isn’t moving on the screens.
Big Baby is a tool. I love KG, Pierce and Allen, but Davis' act wore thin long ago
Baby gonna cry for us now?
Wait, did Paul Millsap just get the benefit of the doubt on TWO calls on one possession? We just jumped into an alternate universe of some sort.
Wonder if candace parker is rooting for the celts or the cavs
I'm lost. Why would she root for either?
The Celts are just a step or 60 too slow. That’s why they have no shot in the playoffs.
Paul Pierce... Academy Award winner for Best Actor
Graduate of the Ginobbli seminar for better flopping
I applaud Doc. I like him a lot. Great coach.
Well doc made me laugh at least. Those refs were so horrible that one coach was going to get kicked out of the game.
This was an impressive win for the Jazz. Once the refs started to let us play, it really was an amazing game. The Celtics were tough and physical, and we stood right up them and hit em back. Don't know I'd call it a statement game, but it's gotta be pretty close.
[Discuss on CG Forums!]
at Boston Celtics (45-24) at Utah Jazz (45-25)
Monday, March 22
10:30 PM ET
Game #70, Road Game #37
TV: CSN-NE, FSR-UT, NBA-LP 760-761
Energy Solutions Arena
Referees: Dan Crawford, Ed Malloy, Tommy Nunez, Jr
The Celtics beat the Jazz 105-86 in Boston back in February. However, at that time, Deron Williams was just coming off an injury and they had 3 other key players out as well. On the other hand, The Celtics had Big Baby and Tony Allen out so neither team was at full strength, but the Jazz definitely were depleted by injuries.
These two teams have almost the same record and are both 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Celtics are 24-12 on the road while the Jazz are a very good home team with a 28-8 home record. The Celtics have won 4 in a row while the Jazz are going for their 2nd straight win. Both are also relatively healthy for this matchup.
Both teams are fighting for playoff position and so are motivated to get the win. Boston is in the 3rd spot in the East, just half a game up on Atlanta and 3.5 games behind Orlando. They would like to at least stay in that 3rd spot. Utah is 4th in the West and are 1.5 games behind Dallas for 3rd and 1.5 games ahead of Phoenix for 5th.
The Celtics have already won the first 2 games on this 3 games in 4 nights road trip and it would be huge for them to close it out with another victory. It will be a tough game but if they play like they have been recently, they should be up for the task.
Probable Starters Probable Starters
PG: Rajon Rondo 13.9 PPG 4.4 RPG 9.7 APG
SG: Ray Allen 16.2 PPG 3.3 RPG 3.0 APG
SF: Paul Pierce 18.1 PPG 4.2 RPG 3.1 APG
PF: Kevin Garnett 14.2 PPG 7.4 RPG 2.0 APG
C: Kendrick Perkins 10.5 PPG 7.7 RPG 1.0 APG
Probable Starters
PG Deron Williams 18.3 PPG 4.0 RPG 10.3 APG
SG: Wesley Matthews 8.9 PPG 2.1 RPG 1.3 APG
SF CJ Miles 9.3 PPG 2.3 RPG 1.3 APG
PF Carlos Boozer 19.4 PPG 11.2 RPG 3.2 APG
C Mehmet Okur 12.8 PPG 6.8 RPG 1.7 APG
Key Matchups vs
Rajon Rondo vs Deron Williams
Rondo has yet another tough matchup with one of the top young PG's in the league. Williams is strong and quick and Rondo will need to be aggressive on both ends of the court.
vs
Paul Pierce vs CJ Miles
Paul Pierce has been hitting his stride in the last few games. His aggressiveness has gotten the team off to a good start and his clutch play down the stretch has willed the team to the wins. Hopefully Pierce will continue his strong play in this one.
Honorable Mention
Kevin Garnett vs Carlos Boozer
KG has been looking good in recent games and should continue his improvement in this game. He has a height advantage over Boozer and hopefully that will allow him to get his shot off over him.
Keys to the Game Defense Over the past several games, we have seen the Celtics return to their trademark lock down team defense. They will need to continue to play this kind of defense as they go down the stretch in preparation of the playoffs. Defense becomes more and more important the closer they get to the post season.
Rebound
We have seen a much better effort on the boards in the last few games and that needs to continue. They need to continue to put out more effort on the boards to limit second chance points and fast breaks for the Jazz.
Bench
The Celtics have a deep bench and a talented one, and the Celtics will need them to contribute in order to allow the starters to rest while still maintaining or widening a lead. The bench will be the difference between a close game and a blowout.
Don't Over-rely on the 3
The Celtics have at times relied too much on the 3 point shot. They have players who can slash to the basket and players who can score inside and if the 3's aren't falling they need to go to the basket.
X-Factor Focus
The Celtics are coming off 2 big wins and heading home after this one. It would be easy to lose focus. Hopefully, the Celtics have their eyes on the bigger prize in the playoffs and will continue to focus on each game to give them the best position as they head into the post season.
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at![[image]](http://spln.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p4486915reg.jpg)
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SG![[image]](http://www.realgm.com/images/nba/4.2/profiles/photos/2006/Allen_Ray_bos.jpg)
SF![[image]](http://www.realgm.com/images/nba/4.2/profiles/photos/2006/Pierce_Paul_bos.jpg)
PF![[image]](http://www.realgm.com/images/nba/4.2/profiles/photos/2006/Garnett_Kevin_bos.jpg)
C![[image]](http://www.realgm.com/images/nba/4.2/profiles/photos/2006/Perkins_Kendrick_bos.jpg)
![[image]](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/.element/img/2.0/sect/basketball/nba/teampages/toppers/kings_514x96.jpg)
![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/2448.jpg)
SG![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/2755.jpg)
SF ![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/3432.jpg)
PF![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/3217.jpg)
C ![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/3211.jpg)
![[image]](http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/4149.jpg)
vs ![[image]](http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3845.jpg)
![[image]](http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3253.jpg)
vs ![[image]](http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/4490.jpg)
![[image]](http://product.images.fansedge.com/64-13/64-13375-P.jpg)
at ![[image]](http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b58/FLCeltsFan12/slippers2.jpg)
![[image]](http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/boston/00-Celticslogos.gif)
![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/4149.jpg)
SG ![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3080.jpg)
SF ![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3253.jpg)
PF ![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/261.jpg)
C ![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3730.jpg)
![[image]](http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/denver/00-Nuggetslogos.gif)
![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/63.jpg)
SG ![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/3187.jpg)
SF ![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/1975.jpg)
PF ![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/1713.jpg)
C![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/2780.jpg)
![[image]](http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/boston/RondoBos.jpg)
vs ![[image]](http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/detroit/BillupsDet.jpg)
![[image]](http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/boston/PierceBos.jpg)
vs ![[image]](http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/denver/melloDen.jpg)
![[image]](http://nba.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p2914428nm.jpg)
at ![[image]](http://nba.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p2914452nm.jpg)
![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/nba/profiles/players/65x90/3007.jpg)
![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/2018.jpg)
![[image]](http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/utah/00-Jazzlogos.gif)
![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/2798.jpg)
![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/4032.jpg)
![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/2778.jpg)
![[image]](http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/1703.jpg)
![[image]](http://assets.espn.go.com/i/headshots/nba/players/65/1014.jpg)
![[image]](http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/utah/DwilliamsUta.jpg)
![[image]](http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/utah/MilesUTA.jpg)
