Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 29, 2019 21:58:02 GMT -5
at 
Boston Celtics (45-31) at Brooklyn Nets (38-37)
Saturday, March 30, 2019
6:00 pm ET
Game [HASH]77, Road Game [HASH]38
TV: NBCSB, YES, NBA-LP 752(DTV)/753(xfinity)
98,5 The Sports Hub, WCBS 880 AM
Barclays Center
Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs 
Kyrie Irving vs D'Angelo Russell
Shooting Guard
vs 
Marcus Smart vs Joe Harris
Small Forward
vs 
Jayson Tatum vs DeMarre Carroll
Power Forward
vs 
Al Horford vs Rodions Kurucs
Center
vs 
Aron Baynes vs Jarrett Allen
Celtics Reserves
Semi Ojeleye
Daniel Theis
Brad Wanamaker
Guerschon Yabusele
Gordon Hayward
Jaylen Brown
Robert Williams
Marcus Morris
Terry Rozier
Greg Monroe
Injuries
None
Two Way Players
PJ Dozier
RJ Hunter
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
Nets Reserves
Jarrett Allen
Ed Davis
Spencer Dinwiddie
Jared Dudley
Treveon Graham
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Caris LeVert
Dzanan Musa
Shebazz Napier
Injuries
Allen Crabbe (knee) out
Two Way Players
Theo Pinson
Alan Williams
Head Coach
Kenny Atkinson
Game Notes
The Celtics are coming off a big win over the Indiana Pacers and now travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets for the fourth and final regular season meeting between these two division rivals this season. The Celtics lead the series 2-1, winning in Bostoon 112-104, and 116-95 and losing in Brooklyn 102-109.
The Celtics are playing on the second night of back to back games. This is their final back to back set of the season. The Celtics are 5-7 on the second night of back to back games and 2-2 when those games are home/road. Brooklyn should be rested as they last played on Thursday.
The Celtics are now in 4th place in the East. They are tied with Indiana but own the tie breaker. They are 3.5 games ahead of Philadelphia. The Celtics are 18-19 on the road and have won two straight games. The Nets are in 7th place, hald a game behind Detroit and half a game ahead of Miami. They are 21-16 at home and have lost their last 2 games. Both teams are 5-5 in their last 10 games.
The Celtics have no one on the injured list as of now. For the Nets, Allen Crabbe is out with a knee injury. I've listed the same starting lineup that the Celtics have used to win their last 2 games, but it's possible with the back to back that some players may be resting.
Key Matchups
vs Kyrie Irving vs D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Russell is averaging 20.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on the season.
Kyrie is coming off hitting a game winner against the Pacers and may rest in this game or he may play with the importance of every game from here on out.
vs Marcus Smart vs Joe Harris
Harris is averaging 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Harris is the reigning 3 point contest champion and is shooing an impressive 61.6% from the field and 46.6 % from beyond the arc. The Celtics should not leave him open under any circumstances.
Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs Spencer Dinwiddie
For the second game in a row one of the key matchups is on the bench. Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging 17.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists off the bench. He is shooting 44.9% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the arc.
Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense wins games. The Celtics have let their defense slip a bit in recent games but they are at least talking about ways to get back to their defensive mindset. Their defense will be tested once again against the Nets, who are averaging 112.7 points per game. In order to win they are going to have to make defense their priority and slow down the Nets' offense. The Celtics especially need to guard the 3 point line as the Nets attempt 35.7 pointers per game and make 12.6 per game.
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 because the Nets always play hard themselves.
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 44.6 rebounds per game compared to 46.2 for the Nets. Much of rebounding is in their effort and the Celtics need to give extra effort on the boards as a team in order to beat the Nets to the rebounds.
Play the Right Way - The Celtics need to play as a team. They need to share the ball and make the extra pass to find the open man. They have to have each others' backs on defense and they have to play with energy. They have to play 48 minutes and not lose focus.
X-Factors
Road Game - The Celtics are playing on the road where at times they have struggled. They have to focus on playing the game and playing as a team and not let the frustrations and distractions of playing on the road get in their way.
Back to Back - The Celtics are playing on the second night of back to back games and had a tough game against the Pacers go down to the wire on Friday night. Will the Celtics lose steam down the stretch or will they play hard from start to finish to try to keep the 4th seed now that they have it?
