Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 31, 2016 23:47:19 GMT -5
at 
Boston Celtics (43-32) at Golden State Warriors (67-7)
Friday, April 1, 2016
10:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game [HASH]76, Road Game [HASH]39
TV: ESPN, CSN-NE, CSN-BA
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, KNBR 1050 AM
Oracle Arena
Probable Starters
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Jared Sullinger
Celtics Reserves
Evan Turner
Jonas Jerebko
Terry Rozier
James Young
Kelly Olynyk
Jordan Mickey
Tyler Zeller
Marcus Smart
RJ Hunter
Injuries
Jae Crowder (ankle) questionable
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
Probable Starters
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Draymond Green
C: Andrew Bogut
Reserves
Ian Clark
Festus Ezeli
Andre Iguodala
Shaun Livingston
James Michael McAdoo
Mareese Speights
Leandro Barbosa
Anderson Varejao
Head Coach
Steve Kerr
Injuries
Brandon Rush (knee) day to day
Kevon Looney (hip) out
Andre Iguodala (ankle) questionable
Festus Ezeli (knee) questionable
Game Notes
The Celtics continue their West Coast trip with a visit to the league leading Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are undefeated at home this season at 36-0. They also won their last 18 games last season to make their home winning streak a total of 54 straight wins at home. The Celtics lost to the Warriors 124-119 in double OT in Boston back in December without Klay Thompson who sat out with an ankle injury. The Warriors have won their last 5 games vs the Celtics.
It will take a monumental effort on behalf of the Celtics to get a win in this one. The Warriors are good in just about every area. They lead the league in points per game (115.1 ), 2nd in FG % (49.6), 1st in assists per game (29.0), 1st in 3 point % (41.5 ) and 1st in fast break points (20.8). The Warriors have swept the season series for the last 2 seasons. Both games were close last season with just a 5 point difference in Boston and a 3 point difference in Golden State.
The Celtics are playing in the second of back to back games, having played in Portland on Thursday night. The Celtics are 11-6 overall in the second of back to back games and 3-1 when both games are on the road.
Jae Crowder returned to the Celtics on Thursday but may or may not play in this one depending on how his ankle feels after the Portland game. If Jae can't play in back to back games then Evan Turner will more than likely get the start again. The Blazers will be without Kevin Looney who is out with a hip injury. Brandon Rush, Festus Ezeli, and Andre Iguodala are all day to day and may or may not play in this game.
The Celtics dropped from 4th to 6th with the loss on Thursday. They are 1.5 games behind Atlanta (3) and 1/2 game behind both Miami (4) and Charlotte (5). They are 3 ahead of Detroit (7). Golden State are light years ahead of every team in the league.
Key Matchups
vs Isaiah Thomas vs Stephen Curry
The simple truth is that no human can guard Stephen Curry. Avery and Isaiah and Jay have to do the best they can but he will still get his. Curry is averaging 30.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2.17 steals per game. He is shooting 51% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. That is almost super human. The best the Celtics can hope for is to maybe slow him down a little.
vs Avery Bradley vs Klay Thompson
Thompson is averaging 22.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He is shooting 43% from beyond the arc. Thompson missed the first meeting between these two teams and will definitely be a tough cover for the Celtics in this one. It seems almost unfair to have two players this good in the same backcourt.
Keys to the Game
Defense - The Warriors can put up points quickly and in bunches. They lead the league with 115.1 points per game. It will be important for the Celtics to bring their defensive intensity into this game, especially to shut down the Warriors' fast breaks as they lead the league in fast break points with 20.8 . The Celtics must especially guard the perimeter as the Warriors are very dangerous from beyond the arc, shooting 41.5% from 3. The Celtics must execute on the defensive end of the court and play tough team defense if they have any hope of winning this game.
Rebound - The Celtics need to crash the boards to keep the Warriors from igniting their fast breaks. The Celtics also need to rebound to give themselves second chance points and limit the second chance points for the Warriors. The Warriors are a very good rebounding team, pulling down 46.3 rebounds per game, good for 4th in the league. The Celtics have to crash the boards as a team.
Take Care of the Ball - The Warriors can be very disruptive by getting into the passing lanes. The Celtics need to stay focused and not give the Warriors any easy opportunities to steal the ball or to get out on the break. If the Celtics get sloppy with the ball, the Warriors will make them pay.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics need to come out focused and play hard from start to finish. The Celtics have to be the more aggressive team throughout the game. They must be aggressive on defense, on the boards, in chasing down loose balls, and in taking the ball to the hoop and not settling for jumpers. They will need energy and extra effort from every player on the team.
Move the Ball - The Celtics play best when the ball keeps moving and they find the open man and the best possible shot. When the Celtics average under 20 assists they are just 13-13 but when they have over 20 assists, they are 40-18. They have to move the ball to find the open man and, of course, the open man has to make his shots.
X-Factors
Focus - The Celtics have to be focused on the game and not on all the hype of the Warriors win streak. The only way the Celtics will get a win in this game is to outwork the Warriors and stay focused on the task at hand.
Officiating - As always, the officiating is an x-factor. Every crew officiates differently and teams never know what to expect. Sometimes they let them play and other times they call a foul on every possession. Some games they call evenly and others they favor one team or the other. It's like Forrest Gump's box of chocolate... you never know what you are going to get.
