The Celtics return house after a 3-1 Western street journey to host the Sacramento Kings. That is the primary of two video games between these two groups this season. They are going to meet once more in Boston on March 24. The Celtics received the sequence 2-0 final season. The Celtics are 192-119 all time in opposition to the Kings and they’re 70-75 at house. They’re 47-29 in opposition to the Kings within the Sacramento period and 30-7 in Boston over that interval.
The Celtics stay 2nd within the East, however have slipped to six video games behind the primary place Cleveland Cavaliers, who’ve received 12 straight video games. They’re 2.5 video games forward of third place New York and 5.5 video games forward of 4th place Orlando. They’re 13-6 at house and 6-4 of their final 10 video games. They’re 5-3 vs Western Convention opponents and are coming off a win of their final recreation.
The Kings are eleventh within the West, 12.5 video games behind first place Oklahoma Metropolis. They’re tied with tenth place San Antonio and half a recreation behind ninth place Golden State. They’re 2.5 video games behind the sixth place Lakers and 1 recreation forward of twelfth place Phoenix. They’re 8-7 on the street and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 5-5 in opposition to Jap Convention groups. They’re 5-1 since Mike Brown was fired as coach and have received their final 5 video games.
The Kings made one massive transfer within the off season. They traded Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte and picks to Chicago for DeMar DeRozan. They signed Jordan McLaughlin, Orlando Robinson and Keon Ellis in free company. They drafted Devin Carter. Gamers misplaced from final season’s crew embrace Kessler Edwards, Jordan Ford, JaVale McGee and Jalen Slawson. The largest transfer got here on December 27 once they fired Mike Brown and moved Doug Christie to interim coach. They’re on a 5 recreation win streak and are 5-1 since that transfer.
The Celtics simply accomplished a 4 recreation street journey that began with again to again wins over Minnesota and Houston and ended with a win over Denver. Their solely loss was to the Thunder. That is the primary of two house video games in opposition to Western Convention groups with New Orleans developing on Sunday. They then head to Toronto to face the Raptors for the third time. They are going to then host Orlando and Atlanta earlier than their 2nd Western street journey of the month via Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers and Dallas.
The Kings final performed at house on Monday once they beat the Warmth in double time beyond regulation. They’re starting a 3 recreation street journey and can play at Chicago and Milwaukee after this recreation. They are going to then head house to face Houston, Washington and Golden State earlier than heading out on a 6 recreation street journey via Denver, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Oklahoma Metropolis and Minnesota.
Derrick White missed Tuesday’s recreation with an sickness however has been faraway from the damage checklist for this one. Jordan Walsh missed Tuesday’s recreation with an sickness and is questionable for this recreation. Drew Peterson is out with a concussion. For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox is out with a hip damage. Malik Monk will seemingly get the beginning in his place.
Possible Celtics Starters
PG: Jrue Vacation
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics Reserves
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Sam Hauser
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
Al Horford
2 Means Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson
Accidents/Out
Drew Peterson (concussion) out
Jordan Walsh (sickness) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Possible Kings Starters
PG: Malik Monk
SG: Keon Ellis
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: Keegan Murray
C : Domantas Sabonis
Kings Reserves
Devin Carter
Jae Crowder
Kevin Huerter
Colby Jones
Alex Len
Trey Lyles
Doug McDermott
Jordan McLaughlin
Orlando Robinson
2 Means Gamers
Isaiah Crawford
Isaac Jones
Mason Jones
Accidents/Out
De’Aaron Fox (hip) out
Head Coach
Doug Christie (interim)
Key Matchups
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Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Ron Hoskins/NBAE through Getty Photos
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Malik Monk
Photograph by Eakin Howard/Getty Photos
Jrue Vacation vs Malik Monk
Monk is averaging 17 factors, 3.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists. He’s capturing 43.9% from the sector and 34.9% from past the arc. With Fox out, Monk will seemingly get the beginning. He’s a risk from the perimeter but in addition can get to the basket.
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Kristaps Porzingis
Photograph by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Photos
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Domantas Sabonis
Photograph by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Photos
Kristaps Porzingis vs Domantas Sabonis
He’s averaging 20.6 factors, 13.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 59.2% from the sector and 44.4% from past the arc. The Celtics have to maintain him out of the paint and off the boards and they should guard him each inside and on the perimeter. After the Denver recreation, Porzingis stated that he’s nearly again to feeling like he’s wholesome. We’ve got to hope that may proceed and that he stays wholesome.
Honorable Point out
Jaylen Brown vs DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan is averaging 20.8 factors, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per recreation. He’s capturing 48.6% from the sector and 30.7% from past the arc. He’s additionally excellent from the midrange and so the Celtics should guard him for all the possession, inside, midrange and on the perimeter.
Keys to the Sport
Protection – Protection is at all times the important thing to successful each recreation. The Kings have a defensive score of 112.5 (sixteenth). The Celtics defensive score is 109.4, sixth within the league. The Celtics have to defend the paint because the Kings common 48.3 factors within the paint per recreation. The Kings common 35.5 three pointers tried per recreation so the Celtics should additionally defend the perimeter. The Celtics have to make protection a precedence and decide to taking part in robust lock down protection for 48 minutes.
Rebound – A lot of rebounding is effort and want. The Celtics must put out additional effort to seize the rebounds on each ends of the court docket. By doing so, they restrict the second probability factors and quick breaks for the Kings and in addition give themselves additional possessions. The Celtics are averaging 44.9 rebounds per recreation to 44.1 rebounds per recreation for the Kings. The Kings common 14.3 second probability factors per recreation and additional effort from the Celtics can restrict these.
Effort and Power for 48 Minutes – The Celtics should be the extra aggressive crew. They must struggle for free balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and simply play tougher than the Kings for all the recreation. They’ve to start the sport with vitality and never enable the Kings to get a giant lead and so they can’t let up all through the sport. They particularly have to come back out robust within the third quarter and play exhausting till the ultimate buzzer. As proven in opposition to the Thunder, the crew that’s extra aggressive and that performs tougher normally will get the good thing about extra calls from the refs as properly.
To three or To not 3 – The Celtics are first within the league, trying 49.8 threes a recreation. Once they fall, the Celtics are robust to beat. However, once they aren’t falling, the Celtics wrestle. If the Celtics aren’t hitting their 3s, they must go to Plan B and take the ball to the basket or shoot from midrange. The Celtics tried simply 35 threes in opposition to Denver and so they received the factors within the paint. 60-46. The Celtics have to do the identical on this recreation. If the 3s are falling, nice!! If not, go to Plan B.
X-Elements
Residence Courtroom Benefit – The Celtics labored exhausting to get house court docket all through the playoffs final season, dropping simply 4 video games at house all season. They’ve already misplaced 6 video games at house this season and they should get again to dominating on their house court docket. They’re taking part in in entrance of their very own followers and on their very own acquainted court docket whereas the Kings are taking part in on the street and have journey, a hostile crowd and street fatigue to distract them. Nonetheless, the primary recreation again after a giant street journey is at all times a tricky one.
Officiating – Officiating can at all times be an x-factor. Each crew will name the sport in a different way. Some will name each little factor and the sport could have no circulation. Others will let so much go and allow them to play. Some crews favor the house crew whereas others name it evenly or have a private agenda. The Celtics want to regulate to how the sport is known as and never let the officers take away their focus.
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