The Celtics and Warmth face off for the primary time because the Celtics beat the Warmth in Spherical 1 of the playoffs final season. That is the primary of 4 video games this season. They’ll meet once more in Boston on April 2 and they’ll meet twice in Miami on February 10 and March 14. The Celtics swept the collection 3-1 final season. The Celtics are 83-53 general all time in opposition to the Warmth and they’re 43-23 all time in video games performed in Boston.
The Celtics are 2nd within the Jap Convention, 1.5 behind the Cleveland Cavaliers after dropping the sport on Sunday evening. They’re 7-2 at house and 8-2 of their final 10 video games. They’re 14-3 in opposition to Jap Convention opponents and after profitable 7 straight video games, they misplaced their final recreation. The Warmth are sixth within the East and 4-5 on the highway. They’re 6-4 of their final 10 video games and 7-6 in opposition to Jap Convention opponents. After profitable 2 video games in a row, they misplaced their final recreation.
Whereas the Celtics have principally the identical group as final season, the Warmth have modified considerably. They misplaced free brokers Caleb Martin (Philadelphia), Cole Swider (Pacers), Alondes Williams (unsigned), Patty Mills (Utah), and Delon Wright (Bucks). They added Kel’el Ware with the fifteenth choose within the draft and Pelle Larson with the forty fourth choose within the draft. In addition they added Alec Burks in free company.
The Celtics are enjoying on the second evening of again to again video games, having performed at Cleveland on Sunday. The Celtics are 3-0 to this point on the second of again to again video games. That is the primary recreation of a 5 recreation house stand in opposition to with video games in opposition to Detroit, Milwaukee, Memphis and Chicago at house following this one. They then go to Chicago in a house and residential set after which journey to Orlando earlier than one other 4 recreation house stand the place they host Philadelphia, Indiana twice, and Toronto.
The Warmth are additionally enjoying on the second evening of again to again video games. The Warmth are 2-0 on the second evening of again to again video games. They performed at Toronto on Sunday and traveled to Boston for his or her second straight highway recreation. They’ll return house after this one for a 4 recreation house stand in opposition to the Lakers, Suns, Cavaliers and Thunder, with the knock out spherical occurring between Clevland and OKC.
Jaylen Brown (sickness) and Derrick White (foot) missed Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Cavaliers and each are listed as questionable for this recreation. Jayson Tatum and Jrue Vacation performed on Sunday, however Tatum is questionable and Jrue is out for this one. Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford are each out for this recreation for relaxation since each performed on Sunday. Once more, I don’t know who will really be out and who will begin so I’m simply guessing on the starters.
For the Warmth, Josh Richardson missed Sunday’s recreation and is questionable for this recreation with an sickness. Nikola Jovic additionally missed Sunday’s recreation as a consequence of a left ankle sprain and is questionable for this recreation. Kel’el Ware missed Sunday’s recreation as a consequence of proper foot tendinitis and is questionable for this recreation. All will likely be a recreation time choice. Jimmy Butler Butler suffered an obvious proper knee harm within the 4th quarter of Sunday’s recreation and is out for this recreation. I’m guessing that Jaime Jaquez, Jr will begin in his place.
Possible Celtics Starters
PG: Derrick White
SG: Sam Hauser
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Neemias Queta
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Luke Kornet
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
Baylor Scheierman
2 Manner Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson
Accidents/Out
Kristaps Porzingis (harm administration) out
Al Horford (toe) out
Jrue Vacation (knee) out
Derrick White (foot) questionable
Jaylen Brown (sickness) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Possible Warmth Starters
PG: Tyler Herro
SG: Duncan Robinson
SF: Jaime Jaquez, Jr
PF: Haywood Highsmith
C: Bam Adebayo
Warmth Reserves
Thomas Bryant
Alec Burks
Pelle Larsson
Kevin Love
Terry Rozier III
Ke;’el Ware
Two Manner Gamers
Josh Christopher
Keshad Johnson
Dru Smith
Accidents/Out
Nikola Jovic (ankle) questionable
Josh Richardson (sickness) questionable
Kel’el Ware (foot) questionable
Jimmy Butler (knee) out
Head Coach
Erik Spoelstra
Key Matchups
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Derrick White
Photograph by Luke Hales/Getty Photos
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Tyler Herro
Photograph by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Photos
Derrick White vs Tyler Herro
Herro is the Warmth’s main scorer this season. He’s averaging 23.6 factors, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 46.5% from the sector and 41.3% from past the arc. The Celtics must hold him off of the three level line and defend him each on the perimeter and within the paint. Presently I’m unsure if White will play or not.
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Jaylen Brown
Photograph by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Photos
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Jaime Jaquez, Jr
Photograph by Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Photos
Jaylen Brown vs Jaime Jaquez, Jr
Initially I had Jimmy Butler right here however he has been dominated out so I’m placing Jaime Jaquez, Jr in his place. I’m unsure who will really begin right here however I suppose it doesn’t actually matter. Jaylen Brown missed Sunday’s recreation and should or could not play on this recreation. Whoever performs simply wants to provide most effort to ensure that the Celtics to have an opportunity on this recreation.
Honorable Point out
Neemias Queta vs Bam Adebayo
Adebayo is averaging 15.8 factors, 9.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per recreation. He’s capturing 42.8% from the sector and 33.3% from past the arc. He’s a menace to attain within the paint and seize rebounds and so the Celtics must field him out and defend him properly within the paint however he may even shoot threes if he’s open so the Celtics additionally should defend him on the perimeter. I’m unsure who will begin right here however picked Queta at random.
Keys to the Sport
Protection – Protection will all the time be the largest key to profitable each single recreation. To date this season, the Celtics protection hasn’t been pretty much as good because it was final yr. The Celtics are eighth with a defensive score of 111.0 whereas the Warmth are ninth with a defensive score of 111.2. The Celtics protection was positively missing in opposition to the Cavs of their loss on Sunday. The Celtics allowed the Cavs to shoot 48.7% from the sector and 47.2% from past the arc. They positively should play higher protection in opposition to the Warmth in the event that they need to get a win. The Celtics must defend the perimeter particularly because the Warmth try 39.5 threes a recreation and shoot threes simply barely higher than the Celtics at 37.9%. The Celtics must work more durable on protection and make that their precedence.
Rebound – Together with protection, rebounding is all the time a key to profitable. As Pat Riley as soon as stated “No rebounds, no rings.” The Celtics common 43.3 rebounds per recreation (18th) whereas the Warmth common 42.9 rebounds per recreation (twenty second). It takes effort and hustle to get rebounds and the Celtics want to provide extra effort and hustle than the Warmth to seize rebounds in the event that they need to win this recreation.
Subsequent Man Up – With 3 gamers questionable for this recreation and one other 3 dominated out, the Celtics will want each participant to step up their recreation and contribute on each ends of the courtroom. They want the starters to return out robust and get off to begin as soon as once more. The reserves want to return in and sustain the vitality and hit their photographs and most significantly, each participant should play lock down protection and in addition crash the boards.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are powerful to beat after they hold the ball transferring 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 whole shot clock with out one go and missed contested layups on each possessions. He must proceed to do what makes the Celtics profitable and hold the ball transferring. Everybody knew that he wasn’t going to go the ball and so as a substitute of an open shot, he dribbled right into a crowd of Cavaliers. Preserve the ball transferring and don’t lapse into hero ball, whether or not within the first quarter or the 4th quarter. Hero ball hardly ever works.
Play Laborious 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 should be extra aggressive in going for free balls, rebounds, in going to the basket and on protection. They should decide to giving full effort from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer. Hopefully they’ve discovered from their losses and gained’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 should be the harder group each bodily and mentally.
X-Components
Dwelling Sport and Fatigue – The Celtics can’t assume that they may win as a result of they’re at house as a result of they’ve already misplaced 2 video games at house this season after they misplaced simply 4 house video games all final season. Each groups needed to journey in a single day and each groups are enjoying in again to again video games. The Warmth will likely be enjoying in entrance of a hostile crowd and in an unfamiliar enviornment whereas the Celtics could have the group behind them to provide them motivation. Fatigue could come into play down the stretch, particularly for the quick handed Celtics.
Officiating -Officiating is all the time an x-factor in each recreation. Each crew officiates otherwise. Some name it tight, others allow them to play. The Celtics want to regulate to how the refs are calling the sport and never enable dangerous calls or no calls to remove their focus from enjoying the sport. The extra aggressive group will normally get the advantage of the calls and so the Celtics have to be the extra aggressive group.
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