Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 28, 2018 22:21:00 GMT -5
vs 
Boston Celtics (35-15) at Denver Nuggets (26-23)
Monday, January 29, 2018
9:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game [HASH]51 Road Game [HASH]25
TV: NBA-TV, NBCSB, Altitude
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 950 AM
Pepsi Center
Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs 
Kyrie Irving vs Will Barton
Shooting Guard
vs 
Jaylen Brown vs Gary Harris
Small Forward
vs 
Jayson Tatum vs Torrey Craig
Power Forward
vs 
Al Horford vs Nikola Jokic
Center
vs 
Aron Baynes vs Mason Plumlee
Celtics Reserves
Shane Larkin
Abdel Nader
Semi Ojeleye
Daniel Theis
Guerschon Yabusele
Terry Rozier
Marcus Morris
Jarell Eddie
Injuries
Gordon Hayward (ankle) out
Marcus Smart (hand) out
Two-Way Players
Kadeem Allen
Jabari Bird
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
Nuggets Reserves
Darrell Arthur
Malik Beasley
Kenneth Faried
Juancho Hernangomez
Richard Jefferson
Tyler Lydon
Trey Lyles
Emmanuel Mudiay
Jamal Murray
Injuries
Paul Millsap (wrist) out
Tyler Lydon (knee) out
Wilson Chandler (illness) probable
Two Way Players
Torrey Craig
Monte Morris
Head Coach
Michael Malone
Game Notes
The Celtics complete their 4 game road trip with a stop in the Mile High city to play the Denver Nuggets. The Celtics are 1-2 on their trip so far, losing to the Warriors and Lakers and beating the Clippers. A win here would salvage their trip with a 2-2 record. However, winning in Denver is always a tough task.
The Nuggets have won 10 of their last 13 games against the Celtics in Denver. However, they have lost 17 of the last 20 in Boston. The Nuggets swept the series 2-0 last season while the Celtics swept the series the two previous seasons. The Nuggets are 26-17 vs the Celtics all time in Denver, but only 8-36 all time in Boston.
The Celtics are 17-7 on the road and 13-5 vs Western Conference teams. The Nuggets are 19-6 at home and 10-7 vs Eastern Conference teams. Both teams are 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Celtics are still the top seed in the East in spite of losing 5 of their last 6 games. However, the Raptors have climbed to within 1 game of the Celtics with the Cavs still 5 back. The Nuggets are 8th in the West 1 game ahead of the Clippers.
The Celtics will once again be without Marcus Smart after he injured his hand hitting a picture frame at his hotel before the Clippers game. Guerschon Yabusele is dealing with a sprained ankle and is listed as out. Gordon Hayward (ankle) remains out. For the Nuggets, Wilson Chandler is probable after dealing with an illness. Paul Millsap (wrist) and Tyler Lydon (knee) are both listed as out.
The starting lineups are the ones given on the game notes for each team and could change closer to game time.
Key Matchups
vs Jaylen Brown vs Gary Harris
Harris is averaging 17.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He is also shooting 38.8% from beyond the arc. Harris is also 6th in the league averaging 1.93 steals per game. The last time these two met in December, Harris led the Nuggets with 36 points. It will be important to keep him from having another big game.
vs Al Horford vs Nikola Jokic
Jokic is playing very well for the Nuggets and will be tough to contain. He posted a triple double in his last game on Saturday with 11 points, 11 assists and 15 rebounds. Has recorded a 19
double-doubles this season and is tied for 2nd among NBA centers in assists per game. He is averaging 16.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season. Both of these players missed the first meeting between these two teams this season.
Honorable Mention
Terry Rozier vs Jamal Murray
The Celtics will miss Marcus Smart's defense once again in this game as Murray is averaging 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists off the bench for Denver. He tallied 28 points and 10 rebounds in the Celtics' win in Boston earlier this season. He is the only player other than Stephen Curry to have a game with 38+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 6+ assists in under 34 minutes this season. With Smart out, Terry Rozier will need to up his defense and keep Murray from having a big game.
Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense is the key to every game. The Celtics still have the [HASH]1 defensive rating at 100.0 but at times they have let their defense slip need to be sure to make defense a priority and work hard on that side of the court in every game. The Nuggets are 19th with a defensive rating of 106.6 but since 12/8, Denver has had a defensive rating of 105.4 (9th). They held the Warriors to 81 points and so should not be taken for granted.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics must be the more aggressive team. They have to fight for loose balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and just play harder than the Nuggets for the entire game. They have to be the team that wants it more. They can't let the Nuggets outwork them as they did the Lakers in their first game on this trip.
Rebound - Both teams are good rebounding teams. The Nuggets have a slight edge with 45.2 rebounds per game to 44.4 rebounds per game for the Celtics. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics have to work harder to grab rebounds to limit the Nuggets second chance points as the Nuggets are 3rd in the league with 14.2 second chance points per game. The Celtics can't allow the Nuggets to outwork them on the boards.
Move the Ball - The Celtics play very well when they move the ball and find the open man. When the ball sticks and players try to do too much, take quick shots, and dribble too much, the Celtics struggle. It's the difference between the game vs the Lakers and the game vs the Clippers. They have to move the ball and look for the best shot and not force shots and not take quick shots. The Nuggets average 17.1 points off turnovers so while they need to move the ball, they have to make careful passes and not allow the Nuggets to get steals and fast break points.
X-Factors
Mile High Denver - One of the factors that makes Denver a tough place to play is their high altitude. The air is a bit thinner there and teams coming in and not used to it may be at a distinct disadvantage to the home team, who are used to the thinner air there. Hopefully the Celtics got there a day early and got somewhat acclimated to the altitude.
Missing Marcus - Marcus Smart may take some bad shots and may not have the highest shooting average, but he brings toughness, defense and does a lot of the things that helps the team win. Marcus would have made a difference against the Warriors and they will miss him in this game. Hopefully the other guards step up to fill in the gap.
Road Weary- The Celtics are at the end of a very tiring road trip and are coming off of a tough game vs the reigning champion Golden State Warriors. They have traveled thousands of miles and have played 3 tough games. Hopefully, they have enough in the tank to pull out a win in this game.
