Rockets (15-16) at Celtics (26-3) 1/2

[FLCeltsFan]

at

Houston Rockets (15-16) at Boston Celtics (26-3)
Wednesday, January 2
7:30 PM ET
Game #30, Home Game #16
TV: NBA LP ch 756, CSNHD, FSNHOU
TD Banknorth Garden



Probable Starters

PG: Rajon Rondo PPG 9.4 | APG 5.3 | SPG 1.9
(or Tony Allen) PPG 5.2 | APG 1.5 | 3P% .438
SG: Ray Allen PPG 19.1 | APG 3.1 | 3P% .382
SF: Paul Pierce PPG 21.6 | RPG 5.4 | APG 4.9
PF: Kevin Garnett PPG 18.8 | RPG 10.5 | BPG 1.5
C: Kendrick Perkins PPG 7.1 | RPG 5.6 | BPG 1.2

Off the Bench:
Eddie House, Brian Scalabrine, James Posey, Tony Allen, Big Baby Davis, Scot Pollard, Leon Powe, Gabe Pruitt

Injuries: Rajon Rondo, hamstring injury, day to day


Probable Starters

PG: Rafer Alston PPG 10.1 | APG 5 | SPG 1.1
SG: Bonsi Wells PPG 9.7 | APG 1.4 | 3P% .231
SF: Shane Battier PPG 8.6 | RPG 4.8 | APG 1.5
PG: Chuck Hayes PPG 3.3 | RPG 6.5 | BPG 0.6
C: Yao Ming PPG 21.3 | RPG 10.6 | BPG 2.4



Off the Bench
Luther Head, Louis Scola, Steve Novak, Aaron Brooks, Dikembe Mutombo, Mike James, Carl Landry, Kirk Snyder, Steve Francis

Injuries
Tracy McGrady, tendinitis, day to day

Key Matchups
vs
Yao is their go to guy with McGrady out. Yao has an 8 inch height advantage over Perk (and most everyone else in the league). Perk will have to work to keep him away from the basket and KG will have to help inside to keep him from having a huge night.

vs
Paul Pierce has been tearing it up on the road trip and Shane Battier is one of the best defenders in the league. Should be an interesting matchup. The nice thing this year is that even if Battier can shut down Pierce, there are still plenty of options to go to.

Keys to the Game
Defense, particularly on Yao. The Celtics have to continue to play tough defense. That is what has gotten them this far and what will win the next championship.

Keep their composure. The Rockets were Tom Thibodeau's last team and they are still a good defensive team. They rank 5th in points allowed at 94.3 ppg. The Celtics have to keep their composure when the Rockets' defense comes at them.

Use Home Court Advantage. The Celtics are back at home and will have the crowd behind them. They have been playing on the road and using the hostle crowds as impetus for playing hard. Sometimes teams return home flat after a road trim. They need to go with the crowd and get fired up to protect their home court.

Game Notes.
The Rockets are 13-40 all time playing in Boston. The Rockets are 4-6 in their last 10 games. They are 8-10 on the road. Not particularly stats that would strike fear in opponents but the Celtics shouldn't underestimate them. McGrady has missed 3 games with tendinitis in his knee and we will catch a break if he is out for this game. He is listed as day to day so it may be a game time decision.

Houston has been playing great defense and are 5th in the league in points allowed. They are also a very good rebounding team and are 3rd in total rebounds for games. They have out rebounded teams 16 times out of 30 and 8 of those was by double digits.

They are coming off a 112-95 loss to the Warriors on New Year's Eve. Adelman played only 9 players in that game. They had 4 players in double figures and two of those were off the bench. If the Celtics play their game and don't let the Houston defense rattle them, this should be an easy win.

[FLCeltsFan]

Start of the Second half. Boston up 53-42. KG misses a fall away. Rockets rebound. Yao misses a turn around on the baseline and KG rebounds. KG hits a jumper as the SC runs down and is fouled. He hits the FT. Houston turns it over. Rondo's bounce pass goes out of bounds. Alston misses a jumper. Rondo chases down the rebound and saves it to PP. Battier angles Pierce away and he misses a shot from behind the backboard as he draws contact. PP misses both FTs. Houston rebounds. Hayes rebounds. Rockets miss a jumper and Rondo steals the rebound and takes it all the way in for a dunk. Head hits a jumper. RA hits a jumper off the catch. Hayes hits a layup. PP has it stripped in the paint. Yao called for an offensive foul as he plows over KG. Perk turns it over. Head goes baseline and misses a layup. KG rebounds. PP gets to the hoop and misses a pull up in the paint. Rockets rebound. Perk called for a foul on Yao under the basket. Yao hits the FT. Rondo drives down the paint and puts it in off the glass. Alston hits a floater in the lane. Rondo lays it down to Perk who misses a layup. Rockets rebound. Perk with a nice block. Pp hits a 3. Hayes takes it to the hoop for a layup. PP goes baseline and kicks it out to KG who misses a jumper. Yao with a big dunk. Rondo misses a jumper. Houston rebounds. Battier's 3 goes in and out and Yao is there for a put back dunk. Time out with Celtics up 65-57 and 5:05 left in the 3rd

[FLCeltsFan]

Celtics inbound and bring it up. 3 second violation on Scot Pollard. Alston misses on the baseline. Pollard rebounds. KG hits a turn around in the lane. Battier hits a 3 from the corner. RA hits a jumper off the catch. Pollard called for a foul. Rockets inbound on the side. Pollard called for his third foul. Yao goes to the line. The first goes in and out. He hits the second. RA misses a jumper. yao rebounds. Yao lays it in and Pollard is called for his 4th foul. Time out with Celtics up 69-61 and 2:59 left in the 3rd

[FLCeltsFan]

Yao hits the FT. PP to Pollard inside who lays it in off the glass and is fouled. KG sits and Posey comes in. Pollard hits the FT. 3 second violation is called on Yao. House comes in for Rondo. RA misses a layup. Pollard misses the put back. Houston rebounds. Posey draws the charge as Yao runs over him. PP hits a step away jumper over Battier. Wells takes it to the hoop and is fouled by Pollard. PP goes baseline and misses a tough shot in the lane. Houston rebounds. Wells hits a jumper. House hits a jumper Alston misses a layup and Yao is called for a foul over the back of Pollard on the rebound. Tony faked a 3 and drives. Give it up and Posey's shot is blocked and Celtics have a 24 second violation. Yao misses but Wells is there for the put back. House misses a jumper. Houston inbounds with .9 in the third. They don't get the shot off. Score at the end of 3 is Celtics 76 and Rockets 68

[FLCeltsFan]

Celtics inbound to start the 4th. Pierce, Posey, Pollard, House, Tony on the floor. Pierce misses and Yao rebounds. Rockets score. Tony passes up a shot again and Posey misses a 3 at the SC. Pollard grabs the rebound. Pollard hits a jumper. Pollard called for his 6th foul. Perk comes in for Scot. Alston gets inside and lays it in. Posey called for an offensive foul. Wells is fouled as he goes up for a layup. He hits the first and misses the second but they call a lane violation on the Celtics. He hits the second one and lead is cut to 4. Tony has it stripped and Rockets get a dunk at the other end. Tony misses a wild shot in the paint. Scola rebounds. Alston lays it in to tie the game and he is fouled. and the Rockets have come from 20 down to tie it. Time out with game tied at 78 and 8:56 left in the 4th.

[CelticsLoyalist]

Way for us blow a lead by 20! Jee!

[runrondo]

Tony Allen CAN'T come off the bench..This game shows it..the bench is looking pretty weak except for Pollard and House..

[cfoo]

C's coasting too much this game. Need to wake up a bit... Losing Perk and Pollard hurts.

[FLCeltsFan]

Alston hits the FT to give Houston its first lead since 7-6. Rondo loses the handle on the ball and KG called for a foul. Scola hits both FTs. Celtics starters are back on the floor. Rondo drives into the paint and lays it down to Perk for a dunk. Brooks misses a 3 from the corner and perk is called for his 6th foul on the rebound. Posey comes in for Perk. Scola hits the first and misses the second. Celtics rebound. RA misses a 3 and Rockets rebound. Wells misses and Pierce goes to the floor going after the rebound and Posey saves it. Rondo is fouled taking it to the hoop. He hits the first FT and misses the second. Rockets foul on the rebound. Celtics inbound. Pierce has it stripped in the lane. Posey called for a foul as Wells falls out of bounds. He hits both FTs. Houston up by 3. KG hits a turn around in the lane on a nice feed by Pierce. RA with a steal and all the way in for a layup. Celtics back on top by 1. Time out with 6:17 left in the 4th and Celtics up 85-84

[FLCeltsFan]

Yao misses a short jumper and KG rebounds. KG hits a jumper with 1 on the SC. Battier hits a wide open 3 from the top of the arc. PP drives and kicks it to Rondo who misses a jumper. Rockets rebound. Battier misses a 3 from the corner. Posey with the rebound. PP misses a step away and KG gets the rebound. KG with a screen and Rondo gets to the basket for a layup. KG denies Yao a shot. Battier misses a 3 and rebound goes over the backboard to Boston. KG misses a jumper. Wells rebounds. Yao misses as KG defends him well. PP gets the rebound. KG takes a jumper. Wells drives and Posey is called for a blocking foul. Time out with Boston up 91-87 and 2:22 left in the 4th

[FLCeltsFan]

Wells at the line hits both FTs. KG gets to the hoop and is fouled by Wells. He misses the first and hits the second FT. KG tips the ball to RA. RA misses in the lane but he gets his own rebound. KG hits a jumper from the FT line. Time out with Celtics 94-89 and 1:16 left in the 4th.

[FLCeltsFan]

Alston hits a jumper. Posey misses from the corner and RA grabs the rebound in traffic. PP passes out to KG who hits a jumper. PP jumps on KG's back as they leave the floor for the time out. Celtics up 96-91 and 22 seconds left in the 4th

[FLCeltsFan]

Rockets inbound on the side. Head takes it to the hoop and KG blocks his shot. Houston inbounds on the baseline with 10 left in the 4th. Yao called for an offensive foul. Celtics inbound on the side. Rondo gets it in to Posey who is immediately fouled. He goes to the line with 9.2 seconds left in the 4th. He misses the first. hits the second. time out with celtics up 97-91 and 9.2 left in the 4th

[FLCeltsFan]

Head misses and Yao tips in the rebound. Final score Celtics 97 and Houston 93. KG willed them to win this game.

[cfoo]

yeah KG deserves his first CG award