Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2016 22:33:43 GMT -5
at 
Boston Celtics (11-8) at Philadelphia 76ers (4-15)
Regular Season Game [HASH]20, Road Game [HASH]11
Saturday, December 3, 2016
7:30 PM ET
TV: CSNNE, CSN-PHI, NBA-LP 755(DTV)/751 (Xfinity)
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 97.5 The Fanatic
Wells Fargo Center
Probable Starters
PG Isaiah Thomas....... SG: Avery Bradley
C: Al Horford
SF: Jae Crowder .............. PF: Amir Johnson
Celtics Reserves
Jaylen Brown
Gerald Green
Jordan Mickey
Terry Rozier
James Young
Jonas Jerebko
Tyler Zeller
Marcus Smart
Kelly Olynyk
Injuries
None
D-League
Demetrius Jackson
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
Probable Starters
PG: Sergio Rodriguez................. SG: Gerald Henderson
C: Joel Embiid
SF: Robert Covington .............. PF: Ersan Ilyasova
Sixers Reserves
Jahlil Okafor
CJ McConnell
Dario Saric
Nik Stauskas
Timothe Luwawu Cabarret
Richaun Holmes
Hollis Thompson
Injuries
Jerryd Bayless (wrist) out
Nerlens Noel (knee) out
Ben Simmons (foot) out
Coach
Brett Brown
Game Notes
The Celtics travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers in the first of 4 meetings this season. The Celtics and Sixers met once in the first game of the preseason with the Sixers coming out on top. The Celtics won the series 4-0 last season.
Both teams are playing in the second of back to back games. The Celtics played at home against the Kings while the Sixers played at home against the Magic. The Sixers have an advantage playing both games at home while the Celtics had to travel after their game.
The Sixers game against the Kings on Monday was postponed due to unsafe conditions on the court. There was condensation on the court and even DeMarcus Cousins joined in and tried to mop the floor but to no avail. Since they are playing on it Friday night, hopefully it will be in good shape for this game.
The Celtics have no injuries to report while the Sixers are missing Jerryd Bayless with a wrist injury, Nerlens Noel with a knee injury, and Ben Simmons with a foot injury.
Key Matchups
vs Al Horford vs Joel Embiid
Horford will face up against the Sixers' talented rookie, Joel Embiid, who is the reigning Rookie of the Month for the Eastern Conference. He is averaging 18.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. He is shooting 46% from beyond the arc and has recently had his minutes limit increased to 28 minutes per game. He could be a tough matchup for the Celtics and Al will need to keep him away from the paint and the boards as well as stay with him on the perimeter.
vs Isaiah Thomas vs Sergio Rodriguez
Rodriguez is averaging 7.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists. Isaiah has to keep Rodriguez from getting into their offense while at the same time, make Rodgriguez work on the defensive end of the court.
Honorable Mention
Jonas Jerebko vs Jahlil Okafor
Okafor comes off the bench for the Sixers and is averaging 10.7 points and 3.9 rebounds. Jonas has been very effective on offense and hopefully that continues in this game.
Keys to the Game
Defense - The Celtic have struggled with their defense recently and must get back to making defense their priority. Defense wins games and the Celtics must get back to playing tough defense as a team.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics have to be the more aggressive team and go after all the loose balls, and aggressively go after rebounds, and be aggressive on defense. They also have to be aggressive in taking the ball into the paint. The more aggressive team will usually get the benefit of the whistles.
Move the Ball - The Celtics have shown beautiful ball movement at times and they have been able to make the extra pass and find the open man to get the best shot. But at times, their assist levels have dropped and they play more one on one and take quick shots, especially when the second unit comes in. Hero ball rarely wins games. They also seem to have lost their confidence and they need to get that back and get back to playing Celtics basketball.
Focus - The Celtics need to make their shots. It is a mystery how a team can shoot 50+% in one game and then be unable to hit a shot in the next game. That has to be a lack of focus and confidence. They need to keep their focus and not play down to the Sixers.
Bench Play - The Celtics starters built a big lead over the Kings on Friday night only to give up the entire lead when the reserves came in. The ball movement that was so good with the starters stopped with the reserves. The Celtics reserves need to keep up the ball movement when they come in and they need to play with more intensity.
X-Factors
Fatigue - Both teams are playing in the second of back to back games. So fatigue could come into play at the end of this game, especially for the Celtics who are playing on the road. The Celtics depth could come into play in this one.
Officiating - Officiating will always be an x-factor. Some crews call every little bit of contact that takes the flow out of the game. Some crews let them play. Some refs have an agenda against a team, a coach or a player. All of these things can alter the way a game is played and the ability of a team to play well.
