Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 15, 2017 21:50:55 GMT -5
at 
Boston Celtics (24-7) at Grizzlies (8-20)
Saturday, December 16, 2017
9:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game [HASH]32, Road Game [HASH]16
TV: NBCSB, FSSE-MEM, NBA-LP 762 (DTV),759 (Xfinity)
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub,WMFS
Fed Ex Forum
Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs 
Kyrie Irving vs Andrew Harrison
Shooting Guard
vs 
Jaylen Brown vs Dillon Brooks
Small Forward
vs 
Jayson Tatum vs Chandler Parsons
Power Forward
vs 
Al Horford vs JaMychal Green
Center
vs 
Aron Baynes vs Marc Gasol
ReservesShane Larkin
Abdel Nader
Semi Ojeleye
Daniel Theis
Guerschon Yabusele
Terry Rozier
Marcus Smart
Injuries
Marcus Morris (knee) questionable
Gordon Hayward (ankle) out
Two Way Players
Kadeem Allen
Jabari Bird
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
ReservesMario Chalmers
Deyonta Davis
Tyreke Evans
James Ennis III
Jarell Martin
Ben McLemore
Ivan Rabb
Injuries
Mike Conley (Achilles) out
Wayne Selden Jr (quad) out
Brandon Wright (groin) out
Two Way Players
Vince Hunter
Kobi Simmons
Head Coach
J.B. Bickerstaff
Game Notes
The Celtics head out on the road after 2 home games to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first of two games this season. They will meet again on February 26 in Boston. The Celtics won both games between these two teams last season.
Both teams are playing on the second night of back to back games. The Grizzlies faced the Hawks at home while the Celtics faced the Jazz at home. Memphis will have an advantage in that the Celtics had to travel after their game but the Grizzlies remain at home.
The Celtics are 11-4 on the road while the Grizzlies are 5-11 at home. The Grizzlies have lost 15 of their last 16 games and are 1-9 in their last 10 games. The Celtics are 9-1 vs the West while the Grizzlies are 0-10 against Eastern Conference teams.
Marcus Morris (knee) and Gordon Hayward (ankle) are out for the Celtics. Daniel Theis left the game on Friday after getting hit in the face. He did not return and his status for this game is unknown at this time. Mike Conley (Achilles), Wayne Selden (quad) nd Brandan Wright (groin) are out for the Grizzlies.
Key Matchups
vs Aron Baynes vs Marc Gasol
Gasol is averaging 18.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. With Conley out, Gasol is the Grizzlies' best player. He is tough to cover and Baynes will need to stay with him to keep him from having a big game.
vs 
Marcus Smart vs Tyreke Evans
Evans is the Grizzlies' 6th man and is playing better than any starters not named Gasol. He is averaging 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Marcus will likely be matched up with him and will need to live up to his defensive pit bull reputation to keep him from having a big game.
Honorable Mention
Al Horford vs JaMychal Green
Green is averaging 10.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Al needs to be aggressive on both ends of the court to make Green work on defense and then to have to work for everything he gets on the offensive end.
Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense is always key to getting a win. The Celtics has been letting their defense slip somewhat recently and they need to get back to the tough team defense they played to start the season. The Celtics must make defense a priority.
Play 48 Minutes - The Celtics can't just run half the game. They have to run for the entire game. They also can't let up down the stretch and have to focus especially at the end of the game. The Celtics have had a tendency to get a lead and then let up or to start off slowly and dig a hole they have to climb out of. The Celtics have to play hard from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
Rebound - Rebounding takes effort and desire and the Celtics will need both to get back to outrebounding their opponents. The Celtics were out rebounded 48-30 against the Nuggets
and 55-31 against the Jazz. Those numbers indicate that the Celtics are getting outworked. The Celtics have to put more effort into crashing the boards because they can't score if they don't have the ball.
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. The Celtics must match the Grizzlies' effort and be the team that wants it more.
Take Care of the Ball - The Celtics have to take care of the ball, make smart passes, and limit their turnovers. The Grizzlies average 16.7 points off of turnovers and the Celtics don't want to give them extra points by getting careless with the ball.
X-Factors
On the Road and Fatigue
Both teams are playing on the second night of back to back games. The Celtics are playing in the 3rd game in 4 nights and the 6th game in 9 nights. The Celtics looked tired against the Jazz with many of their shots short and they just didn't play hard, allowing the shorthanded Jazz to outwork them for the most part. They have to dig deep and play with energy and they have to block out the distractions of playing on the road and focus on getting a win in this game.
Bench Play - The Grizzlies bench has out-scored their opponents' benches 1107-807 this season. Their bench is averaging 39.5 points per game, which is good for 7th in the league. They have gotten 50+ points from their reserves 6 times this season. The Celtics have a very young bench that often struggles on offense. If the Celtics second unit can't keep up with the Grizzlies' second unit, then it might be a long night for them.
