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Sixers (6-19) at Celtics (20-4) 12/18
« Thread Started on Dec 17, 2009, 12:20pm »

Philadelphia 76ers (6-19) at Boston Celtics (20-4)
Friday, December 18
7:30 PM ET
Game #25, Home Game #12
TV: CSNHD, CSN-P, NBA LP 754
Radio: WEEI, WIP
TD Garden
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Probable Starters
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Rajon Rondo PPG 12.0 APG 9.5 SPG 2.5
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Ray Allen PPG 15.5 APG 3.0 3P% .364
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Paul Pierce PPG 18.0 RPG 4.4 APG 3.8
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Kevin Garnett PPG 15.3 RPG 7.5 BPG 0.7
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Kendrick Perkins PPG 12.0 RPG 7.5 BPG 1.9

Reserves
Rasheed Wallace
Eddie House
Shelden Williams
JR Giddens
Brian Scalabrine
Tony Allen

Injuries
Glen Davis (thumb) out
Marquis Daniels (wrist) out

D-League
Bill Walker
Lester Hudson

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Probable Starters
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Jrue Holiday PPG 5.9 RPG 2.7 SPG 1.0
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Willie Green PPG 8.0 APG 2.3 3P% .333
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Andre Iguodala PPG 19.7 APG 5.5 3P% .324
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Thaddeus Young PPG 16.0 RPG 5.4 BPG 0.1
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Samuel Dalembert PPG 6.5 RPG 8.4 BPG 2.0

Reserves
Rodney Carney
Willie Green
Royal Ivey
Jason Smith
Elton Brand
Jason Kapono
Mareese Speights
Primoz Brezec

Injuries
Lou Williams (jaw) out
Allen Iverson (knee, shoulder) out

Team Connections
Tom Thibodeau was an assistant coach in Philadelphia from 1994-96
Eddie House and Elton Brand were teammate on the L.A. Clippers during the 2003-04 season
Primoz Brezec and Rasheed Wallace were teammates in Detroit during the 2007-08 season
Elton Brand and Shelden Williams are former Duke Blue Devils
Royal Ivey and Shelden Williams were teammates in Atlanta during the 2006-07 season
Shelden Williams and Rodney Carney were teammates in Minnesota during the 2008-09 season.

Key Matchups
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Ray Allen vs Allen Iverson
Ray Allen will have his hands full staying with Allen Iverson, who is getting acclimated with his new/old team and has been playing very well. He is shooting 50% from beyond the arc and is trying to prove to Philly that they made the right choice in bringing him back. Ray should be able to get some open shots as unless AI has turned over a new leaf to play defense also.

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Paul Pierce vs Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala is a handful for any player to guard. Pierce's defense will be needed to try to slow him down as he can put up big numbers if left open anywhere on the court as he is also a threat from beyond the arc. He is also a good defender and Pierce will have to work to get any open looks.

Game Notes
• The C’s are currently 2-0 against the Sixers this season; the Celtics swept the season series 4-0 against Philadelphia in 2008-09
• Ray Allen led the Celtics with 20.7 points per game last season
• Andre Iguodala led the 76ers with 17.5 points per game against the Celtics last season
• The 2008-09 season sweep marked the first time since the 1995-96 season that the Celtics swept the season series with the 76ers
• The Celtics are leading the all-time series 236-175 with the Celtics 138-48 at home

This is the 3rd meeting between these two teams this season. The Celtics beat the Sixers in Philly 105-74 earlier in the season. They also won 113-110 in Boston to begin their current win streak. Since that last victory in Boston, these two teams have been going in opposite directions. The Sixers have gone 1-9 in that time while the Celtics have won 10 straight.

The Celtics haven't been as dominant at home as they have been on the road. They are 8-3 at home while losing only once on the road. The Sixers have been dismal on the road, however, with a 2-10 record.

Just after finishing this thread, I read on CSN Philly that Iverson will out vs the Celtics. I'm not sure what Philly will do to fill in for his absence. They may just start Willie Green at SG or they may shift their lineup to what it was when they last played the Celtics with Iguodala at SG and You at SF and Brand at PF. Their game notes still have Iverson starting.

In spite of the Sixers' losing streak and poor record, the Celtics need to take them seriously because if they don't, they could get burned. With Allen Iverson, Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young in the starting lineup, they have plenty of firepower to put points on the board. They also have firepower off the bench with Elton Brand and Jason Kapono. The Celtics need to continue to emphasize defense and not hope to trade baskets with the Sixers.

Keys to the Game
Defense
As I have said many times before, defense is going to be the key to every game this season and to winning the championship. We have seen the Celtics' smothering defense on the road, now they need to focus on keeping it at home as well. The Sixers are a good 3 point shooting team and so the Celtics need to defend the perimeter as well as the paint.

Rebound
The Sixers have a good rebounding team and with Allen Iverson back, he will push the ball up for easy baskets if the Celtics allow them to get rebounds. They will also get second chance points as Iguodala is one of the best in getting put backs and taking advantage if given a second chance at scoring. Much of rebounding is effort and desire and the Celtics must come into this game with both.

Play 48 Minutes
The Celtics tend to start off slowly, choosing to trade baskets in the first half,and only after they fall behind or play even for awhile do they amp up the defense and pull ahead. The Celtics need to get back to strong starts and playing the entire game instead of playing defense in spurts in the first half and clamping down in the second.

X-Factor
Rest vs Rust
It's always hard to tell how a few days off will affect a team. Usually, the Celtics come out strong after 3 days off. But we have also seen teams come out rusty and take awhile to get back into a rhythm. Hopefully, the Celtics will come out rejuvenated and put the Sixers away early.

« Last Edit: Dec 18, 2009, 11:20am by FLCeltsFan »