Spurs (4-2) at Celtics (4-2) Game #7 10/30/17

[FLCeltsFan]

at
San Antonio Spurs (4-2) at Boston Celtics (4-2)
Monday, October 30, 2017
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game [HASH]7 Home Game [HASH]3
TV: NBA-TV, NBCSB, FSSW
Radio: WZLX 100.7, WOAI 1200 AM
TD Garden



Probable Starters
PG SG SF PF C
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Al Horford
C: Aron Baynes

Celtics Reserves
Jabari Bird
Shane Larkin
Abdel Nader
Semi Ojeleye
Daniel Theis
Guerschon Yabusele
Terry Rozier
Marcus Smart

Injuries
Marcus Morris (knee) out
Gordon Hayward (ankle) out

Two Way Players
Kadeem Allen

Head Coach
Brad Stevens




Probable Starters
PG SG SF PF C
PG: Dejounte Murray
SG: Danny Green
SF: Kyle Anderson
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Pau Gasol

Spurs Reserves
Davis Bertans
Bryn Forbes
Rudy Gay
Manu Ginobili
Patty Mills
Brandon Paul
Derrick White

Two-Way Players
Matt Costello
Darrun Hilliard

Injuries
Joffrey Lauverngne (ankle) out
Kawhi Leonard (quad) out
Tony Parker (quad) out

Game Notes
The Celtics return home from their 2 game road trip to host the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are on the 4th and final game of a 4 game road trip. The Spurs won the series 2-0 last season. They started the season out 4-0 and then went 1-2 so far on the road trip. The Celtics started the season by losing their first two games and since have won 4 straight.

The Celtics had hoped to get Marcus Morris back for this game but Brad Stevens wanted him to have a full practice in before playing and so now it looks like he will return on Wednesday when the Celtics host the Kings. Gordon Hayward is expected to miss the season but will rejoin the team as they return home to work with the coaches.

The Spurs are missing some key players also. Kawhi Leonard (quad) is out indefinitely. Tony Parker (quad) is expected to spend some time in the G-League on a rehab assignment before returning to the team. Joffrey Lauvergne (ankle) is listed as day to day.

Three of the 5 starters for the Spurs are returning from last season. While Murray and Anderson replace the injured Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard. There was little turnover on their roster. One key addition is Rudy Gay. The Celtics return just one starter and just 4 players from last season. Both teams are very well coached.

The Celtics had Sunday off after returning from their two game road trip to Milwaukee and Miami. The Spurs played at the Pacers on Sunday where they lost a close one 97-94. They will return home after this game to host the Warriors on Thursday. The Celtics will host the Kings on Wednesday.

With Hayward out, Brad Stevens has been mixing and matching with his starting lineup depending on the matchups on each opponent. Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford have been the constants in the starting lineup. He has started Marcus Smart, Daniel Theis, and Aron Baynes all with some success. I'm listing the same starters as last game but that could easily change.

Key Matchups
vs
Al Horford vs LaMarcus Aldridge
Aldridge is having a very good season so far, averaging 25.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks. Al Horford has been playing very well also, especially on defense. He slowed Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kristaps Porzingis, holding both below their season averages. He will try to do the same with Aldridge, who played a team high 36 minutes against the Pacers on Sunday.

vs
Jayson Tatum vs Kyle Anderson
Jayson Tatum catches a break in that the Spurs' superstar, Kawhi Leonard, is still out with a quad injury. The Celtics rookie will instead be matched up with the Spurs 4th year player Kyle Anderson. Anderson is averaging 8.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He is also shooting 50% from beyond the arc.

Honorable Mention
Aron Baynes vs Pau Gasol
Gasol has lost a step or two from his prime, but he can still be dangerous. He is averaging 8.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks. He finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in 30 minutes on Sunday.

Keys to the Game
Rebound - The Celtics can't score if they don't have the ball, and they will struggle when constantly giving up second chance points. The Celtics are averaging 45.2 rebounds per game while the Spurs are averaging 49.0 rebounds per game. The Celtics need to continue to work extra hard on the boards. When they put forth the extra effort on the boards, that tends to spread to other areas of the game as well.

Defense - Both teams have been good defensively. The Celtics are 2nd with a defensive rating of 95.1 while the Spurs are 6th with a defensive rating of 98.9. Defense wins games and so the Celtics need to continue to make defense a priority.

Move the Ball - When the Celtics move the ball they get good shots and play very well. When the ball stops moving, the Celtics struggle to score and the rest of their game slows down as well. They need to keep moving the ball especially against a good defensive team like the Spurs.

Be Aggressive - The Celtics need to play hard and be the more aggressive team. They have to go after rebounds, loose balls, and 50/50 balls. They have to be aggressive on defense and in getting to the basket. They have to be the team that works harder and wants it more.

X-Factors
Home Game - The Celtics are once again at home where they should get a boost from the home crowd and from the familiarity of their home court. Also, the Spurs have been struggling somewhat on the road, losing 2 of 3 games so far on their road trip. The Celtics need to capitalize on their home court and use it to their advantage.

Coaching - Gregg Popovich is considered by many to be the best coach in the league. Brad Stevens is considered to be the best young coach in the league and the heir apparent to Popovich's crown. Matchups and coaching strategy should come into play in this game.

[DERRENMATTS]

Even without Parker and Leonard, these Spurs are a good team. They are the kind of team and organization that we're aiming to be.

So far, after 6 games, all I know is that Kyrie will get his 24 pts -- everything else after that is unpredictable. I don't know if Jaylen will give us 20 or just 2. I don't know if Tatum will get us 5 or 25. Don't know if Horford will get a double double or will be invisible. Don't know which Marcus Smart or Terry Rozier we'll see. I don't know if Theis will get playing time, or if it'll be Yabusele's turn (or Semi, or Nader).

But somehow we'll win the game.

[jhvos7979]

Hoping Brown pickup the slack on the scoring side of things. He's missing way too many layups and open shots for the past couple games.

Tatum is shooting at an high rate so hopefully his hot streak continues (50% FG 50% 3PT 86% FT).

[DERRENMATTS]

The good thing is Jaylen is "capable" of getting to the rim on his drives. Getting a feel for the touch and release of the ball will be his next development.

If Tatum can keep up his percentages, it's clear that he's on his way to stardom.

[eja117]

Semi O reminds me of Ryan Gomes but with less offense and way better defense.

[DERRENMATTS]

Another great effort by the defense. For most of the first 2 quarters, it was the defense and Kyrie that kept us going. Horford and Brown chipped in, but Kyrie's key buckets kept our head out of the water.

Defensively, we made the Spurs look out of sync. They didn't get into rhythm all night.

And then when we finally found our groove in the 3rd, we stsrted running away. Then Rozier had 8 quicks points in a row that fired up his team and the crowd, and it was over.

The Kyrie and Horford duo is starting to take shape. We really need Jaylen and Tatum to develop into reliable scorers because i can see this team struggling when Kyrie is not in the game.

But overall, for a new team dealing with a huge loss (Hayward), we've recuperated really well in a short amount of time.

[jmost]

Missed this one as the rain and wind storm knocked out power here in Maine. Saw some highlights this morning though, and it definitely looks like Irving and Horford have quickly learned how to play off each other. The other guys are taking turns having good scoring games. Not super consistent, but that's what you expect from young guys. I like that Tatum still had 11 rebs and 3 blocks even on a poor shooting night. Shows he still competes on both ends when the ball isn't falling for him. I hope Rozier's fourth qtr is a sign that his shooting slump is over.

[Roadrunner]

Nice win. SAN is a solid team even without Sugar K Leonard, and Tony Parker. Irving is starting to improve his shooting FG %. This year's team is deep, just do not know who is contributing nightly.