The Celtics host the Memphis Grizzlies for the primary of two video games between them this season. They may play once more in Memphis on March 31. The Celtics have been 2-0 final season in opposition to the Grizzlies. They’re 37-19 general all time in opposition to the Grizzlies and they’re 19-9 all time in video games performed in Boston. That is the second of again to again video games for the Celtics. They’re 4-0 to this point on the second night time of again to again video games.
The Celtics are 2nd within the East, 1 recreation behind the primary place Cavaliers. They’re 10-2 at house and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 2-1 in opposition to Western Convention groups. They’ve received their final 3 video games. The Grizzlies are 4th within the West, 2.5 video games out of first place. They’re 4-5 on the street and 8-2 of their final 10 video games. They’re 8-3 in opposition to Japanese Convention groups and are searching for their 2nd straight win.
Marcus Sensible spent 9 years with the Celtics and have become the guts and soul of the crew. He was included within the commerce that introduced Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, which broke my coronary heart and that of many different Celtics followers. It was thought that he was going to a contender within the West, however final season that they had accidents and setbacks the entire season. Sensible was out after they performed in Boston final season. Hopefully he’ll be capable to play on this one.
Key gamers have been out all season and so they not often had an damage listing beneath 7 gamers. Bane performed 42 video games, Clarke performed 6 video games, Sensible performed 20 video games and Morant performed 9 video games final season. This yr, they’ve been more healthy and their being 4th within the West displays that. They didn’t make many adjustments within the off season, anticipating that getting gamers again from damage can be sufficient to place them in contender standing.
The Celtics are taking part in within the 4th recreation of a 5 recreation house stand. The Celtics beat the Warmth, the Pistons and the Bucks within the first 3 video games and can host Detroit arising following this one. The Detroit recreation was added, together with a recreation at Washington on the fifteenth after the Celtics didn’t advance within the Emirates Cup match. After the Wizards, the Celtics will face the Bulls in a house and residential sequence earlier than taking part in at Orlando.
The Grizzlies are taking part in within the first of two consecutive street video games. The 2nd recreation can be again to again at Washington on Sunday. They may then play at house vs Brooklyn and on the street vs the Lakers. Then, it’s again house in opposition to the Warriors and again on the street at Atlanta adopted by 2 video games at house in opposition to the Lakers and Raptors earlier than a 5 recreation street journey by means of New Orleans, OKC, Phoenix, Sacramento and Golden State.
Because the Celtics are taking part in again to again, Al Horford will probably sit this one out since he performed on Friday in opposition to the Bucks. Porzingis sat out Friday’s recreation and off the damage listing for this recreation. Derrick White is a late addition to the damage listing with a foot sprain. He’s listed as possible and can probably play.
The Grizzlies have 4 gamers out and a couple of extra gamers questionable. Zach Edey (ankle), GG Jackson (foot), Luke Kennard (sickness) and Vince Williams, Jr (ankle) are all out for this recreation. Former Celtic Marcus Sensible (ankle) is questionable however was seen going by means of shoot round and it appears to be like like he plans to play. Desmond Bane was a late addition to the damage report with a toe damage as questionable and can be a recreation time choice.
Possible Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
Sam Hauser
2 Manner Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson
Accidents/Out
Al Horford (toe) out
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) accessible
Derrick White (foot) possible
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Possible Grizzlies Starters
Grizzlies Reserves
Santi Aldama
Jay Huff
John Konchar
Jake LaRavia
Scotty Pippen, Jr
Two-Manner Gamers
Colin Castleton
Yuki Kawamura
Cam Spencer
Accidents/Out
Zach Edey (ankle) out
GG Jackson II (foot) out
Luke Kennard (sickness) out
Vince Williams, Jr (ankle) out
Marcus Sensible (ankle) questionable
Desmond Bane (toe) questionable
Head Coach
Taylor Jenkins
Key Matchups
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Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Jason Miller/Getty Photographs
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Ja Morant
Photograph by Justin Ford/Getty Photographs
Jrue Vacation vs Ja Morant
Morant is averaging 20.9 factors, 4.1 rebounds, and eight.6 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 44.8% from the sphere and 26.3% from past the arc. Morant may be very athletic and fast and so he may give the Celtics issues. They want to stick with him on protection to attempt to gradual him down.
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Jayson Tatum
Photograph by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Photographs
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Jaren Jackson, Jr
Photograph by Meg Oliphant/Getty Photographs
Jayson Tatum vs Jaren Jackson, Jr.
Jackson is averaging 21.7 factors, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 51.3% from the sphere and 33.3% from past the arc. Jackson is taking part in very nicely this season and is an actual risk to attain. He’s additionally an excellent defender and can make it troublesome for whoever he’s guarding to attain.
Honorable point out
Derrick White vs Desmond Bane Bane is averaging 14.3 factors, 6.1 rebounds, and three.9 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 43.5% from the sphere and 31.9% from past the arc. Bane is an effective rebounder and so White must step up and problem him on the boards.
Keys to the Recreation
Protection – Protection is all the time a key to profitable. The Celtics have slipped to tenth with a defensive score of 110.5. The Grizzlies are seventh with a defensive score of 108.6. The Grizzlies are 2nd in scoring with 121.1 factors per recreation whereas the Celtics are third with 120.5 factors per recreation. The Celtics are 1st in 3 level makes an attempt with 50.1 and eighth in 3 level proportion at 37.6%. The Grizzlies are 14th with 37.3 three level makes an attempt per recreation and seventeenth in 3 level proportion at 34.8%. The Celtics must particularly do a greater job of guarding the paint because the Grizzlies are fifth averaging 58.6 factors within the paint. The Celtics protection has been up and down this season. They have to play lock down protection for 48 minutes in opposition to the Grizzlies.
Rebound – The Celtics can’t rating in the event that they don’t have the ball and to get the ball, they must seize rebounds. The Celtics are 14th within the league, grabbing 43.9 rebounds per recreation whereas the Grizzlies are third, with 47.5 rebounds per recreation. A lot of rebounding is effort and hustle and the Celtics have to put out extra effort than the Grizzlies in an effort to beat them to rebounds.
Play Onerous for 48 Minutes – The distinction within the Celtics wins and losses on this yr has been the quantity of effort they provide on each ends of the courtroom. The Celtics have to be extra aggressive in going for unfastened balls, rebounds, in going to the basket and on protection. They must decide to giving full effort from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer. Hopefully they’ve discovered from their losses and received’t slack off on effort for even a minute on this recreation. They should take cost of the sport from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer. The Celtics have to be the harder crew each bodily and mentally.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are robust to beat after they preserve the ball shifting and discover the open man however when one participant over dribbles and lapses into hero ball, they falter. On the finish of the Cavs recreation, in two consecutive essential possessions, Jayson Tatum dribbled the complete shot clock with out one move and missed contested layups on each possessions. He must proceed to do what makes the Celtics profitable and preserve the ball shifting. Everybody knew that he wasn’t going to move the ball and so as an alternative of an open shot, he dribbled right into a crowd of Cavaliers. Hold the ball shifting and don’t lapse into hero ball, whether or not within the first quarter or the 4th quarter. Hero ball not often works
X-Components
House Recreation and Fatigue – The Celtics are house for his or her 4th straight recreation. They should get motivation from the gang and play their finest to guard house courtroom. The Grizzlies have to beat the distractions of taking part in on the street together with journey fatigue, staying in inns, taking part in in entrance of hostile followers and in an unfamiliar enviornment and the Celtics have to make the most of that. The Celtics are taking part in on the second night time of again to again video games and fatigue could possibly be an element down the stretch.
Officiating – Officiating is all the time an x-factor. Some officers name the sport tight and name each little little bit of contact. Others allow them to play and permit each groups to be bodily. Some refs name it one sided for one crew whereas others name it even. The Celtics have to focus on taking part in their recreation and never enable unhealthy calls and no calls to remove from their concentrate on taking part in the correct approach.
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