Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 13, 2017 22:33:54 GMT -5
at 
Boston Celtics (12-2) at Brooklyn Nets (5-8)
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
7:30 pm ET
Game [HASH]15, Road Game [HASH]8
TV: NBCSB, YES, NBA-LP 750(DTV)/752(xfinity)
98.5 Sports Hub, WFAN 101.9
Barclays Center
Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs 
Marcus Smart vs Spencer Dinwiddie
Shooting Guard
vs 
Jaylen Brown vs Allen Crabbe
Small Forward
vs 
Jayson Tatum vs DeMarre Carroll
Power Forward
vs 
Al Horford vs Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Center
vs 
Aron Baynes vs Timofey Mozgov
Marcus Morris
Shane Larkin
Abdel Nader
Semi Ojeleye
Daniel Theis
Guerschon Yabusele
Terry Rozier
Jabari Bird
Injuries
Gordon Hayward (ankle) out
Kyrie Irving (face) questionable
Two Way Players
Kadeem Allen
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
Nets Reserves
Quincy Acy
Trevor Booker
Joe Harris
Sean Kilpatrick
Caris LeVert
Isaiah Whitehead
Tyler Zeller
Injuries
Jeremy Lin (knee) out
D'Angelo Russell (knee) out
Jarrett Allen (foot) day to day
Two Way Players
Jacob Wiley
Yakuba Ouattara
Game Notes
The Celtics come off of their 3 game home stand to take a quick trip to Brooklyn to face the Nets. The Celtics can thank the Nets for their quick rebuild in that the Celtics could win and bring in good players as the Nets were tanking for for the Celtics' lottery picks. The final Nets pick is now in the hands of the Cavaliers by virtue of the Kyrie Irving trade. But I can imagine that the Nets would love to pay the Celtics back for all those lottery picks that they didn't get.
The Celtics are 6-1 on the road and have won a league best 12 straight games. The Nets aren't the worst team in the league that they were when the Celtics received their last two draft picks. They are crawling back to respectability once again. They are 3-2 at home and are looking to get back in the win column after losing their last game.
The Nets lost more than just the game, they lost their best player, point guard D'Angelo Russell, who was averaging 20.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. He left their last game with a knee contusion and has been ruled out for this game. They will also be without Jeremy Lin who, like Gordon Hayward suffered a devastating injury early on and is out for the season. Jarrett Allen is day to day with a foot injury, but he was able to participate fully in Monday's practice.
Kyrie Irving missed the game against the Raptors after suffering a facial fracture. He traveled with the team and is listed as questionable. The fact that he traveled with the team says that there is a chance that he could play in this game. He has been fitted with a face mask and if he plays, he will be wearing it. For anyone wondering about whether his play will suffer with a mask, Kyrie scored 40 points on 1/22/13 wearing a mask. Gordon Hayward also remains out with the ankle injury.
I have included Marcus Smart in the starters, but I have a feeling that Kyrie Irving may be back in the starting lineup up for this one. I'm also thinking that Brad will keep Aron Baynes in the starting lineup and bring Marcus Morris off the bench. However, as we have already seen this season it's hard to predict who Brad will go with. I've included the Nets' starters from their game notes.
Key Matchups
vs Jayson Tatum vs DeMarre Carroll
Carroll is the second highest scorer on the Nets now that both Lin and D'Angelo are out. He is averaging 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He had 15 points, 7 rebounds and 1 steal in his last game vs the Jazz.
vs Al Horford vs Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Hollis-Jefferson is averaging 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. In his last game, against the Jazz, he had 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. He is also one of the better defenders on the team. Al will need to make him work on both ends of the court.
Honorable Mention
Daniel Theis vs Tyler Zeller
This should be an interesting matchup between a former Celtics big man and a current Celtics big man. Zeller is averaging 9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 15.8 minutes off the bench while Theis is averaging 4.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 14.2 minutes per game.
Keys to the Game
Defense - The Celtics have been playing incredible defense and it isn't a stretch to say that it is their defense that has been responsible for most of their 12 straight wins. Their defense will be tested against the Nets, who are averaging 110.6 points per game (4th). The Celtics are averaging just 102.2 points per game and so in order to win they are going to have to continue to make defense their priority and slow down the Nets' 4th ranked offense.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics need to be the more aggressive team in going after loose balls, rebounds, 50/50 balls, and in going to the basket. They also have to be aggressive on defense. They have to be the team that wants it more and they have to play that way for 48 minutes. They can't let themselves play with less than 100% effort because they are playing the Nets. They have to be the team that plays harder.
Rebound - The Celtics need the ball in order to score. They need to rebound on the offensive end to give themselves extra possessions and to keep the Nets from getting fast break points. They also need to rebound on the defensive end to keep the Nets from getting second chance points. The Celtics are averaging 47.5 rebounds per game compared to 45.5 for the Nets. They need to continue to crash the boards as a team.
Take Care of the Ball - The Celtics have to stay focused and take care of the ball. They have to value every possession and make good passes and find the open man for the best open shots. They can't get sloppy and give the Nets extra chances by allowing them to steal the ball. The Nets are averaging 17.2 points off turnovers and so the Celtics need to limit their turnovers to keep them from getting extra points from them.
X-Factors
Trap Game - The Celtics have won 12 straight games and at the top of the league while the Nets are below .500 and fighting for every win. Both teams are missing a key player for the season and both may be missing a star point guard. But the Celtics can't take this team for granted because they are capable of pulling out a win if the Celtics let down their guard against them.
Road Team/Home Team - The Celtics are back on the road after three home games. They have to ignore all the distractions that come from playing on the road and in a hostile arena and focus on the task at hand of playing hard and focused and getting a win. The Nets are back home after a 5 game road trip and the first game at home after a road trip is always a tough one. Hopefully we see the best of the Celtics and the worst of the Nets.
Kyrie's Availability - Needless to say, if Kyrie can play it will make it a lot easier for the Celtics. He is listed as questionable, but the fact that he traveled with the team makes me think that there is a good chance that he may play. Masked Kyrie is a force to be reckoned with. Marcus should be able to hold his own vs Spencer Dinwiddie, but Kyrie should dominate.
