Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 3, 2008 17:05:28 GMT -5
at 
Detroit Pistons (43-16) at Boston Celtics (46-12)
Wednesday, March 5
7:30 PM ET
Game #59, Home Game #31
TV: CSN HD, TV 20 Detroit HD, NBA LP ch 753
Radio: WEEI
TD BanknorthGarden
Probable Starters
PG: Rajon Rondo PPG 10.6 RPG 4.30 APG 5.1 EFF + 14.44
SG: Ray Allen PPG 18.7 RPG 4.00 APG 3.1 EFF + 16.70
SF: Paul Pierce PPG 20.5 RPG 5.40 APG 4.7 EFF + 20.07
PF: Kevin Garnett PPG 18.5 RPG 9.90 APG 3.7 EFF + 25.37
C: Kendrick Perkins PPG 7.3 RPG 5.70 BPG 1.4 EFF + 11.37
Off the Bench:
Eddie House, Scot Pollard, James Posey, Leon Powe, Big Baby Davis, Tony Allen, Brian Scalabrine, Gabe Pruitt, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell
Injuries
None
Probable Starters
PG: Chauncey Billups PPG 17.6 RPG 2.80 APG 7.1 EFF + 20.11
SG: Rip Hamilton PPG 18.0 RPG 3.40 APG 4.2 EFF + 17.00
SF: Tayshaun Prince PPG 13.4 RPG 4.70 APG 3.2 EFF + 13.98
PF: Antonio McDyess PPG 9.3 RPG 8.90 APG 1.3 EFF + 15.16
C: Rasheed Wallace PPG 13.1 RPG 7.10 BPG 1.7 EFF + 17.11
Off the Bench
Jason Maxiel, Arron Afflalo, Linsdey Hunter, Jarvis Hayes, Amir Johnson, Walter Hermann, Rodney Stuckey, Cheikh Samb
Injuries
None
Key Matchups
vs 
Paul Pierce PPG 20.5 RPG 5.40 APG 4.7 EFF + 20.07
Tayshaun Prince PPG 13.4 RPG 4.70 APG 3.2 EFF + 13.98
Prince and Pierce both have been playing great defense for their teams and so this is going to be a tough battle both inside and out.
vs 
Rajon Rondo PPG 10.6 RPG 4.30 APG 5.1 EFF + 14.44
Chauncey Billups PPG 17.6 RPG 2.80 APG 7.1 EFF + 20.11
Rondo didn't fare very well in their last matchup in Boston on December 19, but he has gotten much better since then and has gained confidence. It is expected that Sam Cassell will be playing in this game and so if Rondo struggles again, we may see Cassell on Chauncey at the end of the game.
Honorable Mention
Perk vs Rasheed Wallace.
Perk has been a beast in his last two games and he will be facing a real challenge trying to cover Rasheed Wallace who can hit from outside or take it to the hoop. Hopefully Perk will continue with his strong play and make Rasheed work for everything he gets as well as having to work on the defensive end.
Keys to the Game
Keep their Composure. In the first matchup between these two teams in December, the Celtics lost their composure when Detroit put pressure on them. They handled the pressure better in their second matchup in January and they will need to keep their composure in this game as well because the Pistons will pressure them.
Defense It is certain that the Pistons will be playing tough defense in this game and the Celtics need to match their defensive intensity. This will be a grind it out game where both teams will have to work for anything they get.
Hustle and Aggressiveness The Celtics must come out strong and not let up or the Pistons will take advantage of any weakness they may show. The team that hustles more for rebounds and loose balls and the team that is more aggressive taking the ball to the hoop and on defense will be the team that wins.
Game Notes
This is the biggest game of the season for the Celtics so far. The Pistons are 3 games behind the Celtics for top seed in the East. A win here would give them a 4 game lead and a loss would cut their lead to just 2. That is a huge swing. The team that wins would come away with confidence and momentum should they meet in the playoffs.
The series is tied right now, with each team winning on the others' court. The Pistions won 85-87 in Boston and the Celtics won 92-85 in Detroit. Both teams are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Detroit is 28-8 in the conference and the Celtics are 28-9 against the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are 21-11 on the road and the Celtics are 26-4 at home, with one of those 4 losses to the Pistons.
The Celtics have won 5 in a row, while the Pistons have just a 1 game win streak. The Celtics are off Monday and Tuesday and the Pistons have a game at home the night before against the Sonics. The Pistions are 9-5 in the second of back to back games. The Celtics are 8-5 when they have the 2 days off before the game.
Chauncey Billups missed the last game on the Pistons' road trip for personal reasons. He is expected to play against the Sonics and the Celtics, however. The Pistons are expected to sign former Celtic Theo Ratliff when he clears waivers, but it isn't known if he will play against the Celtics. This game is huge and hopefully the Celtics won't get over hyped and beat themselves.
