After a come from behind win at Milwaukee on Sunday, the Celtics return house for the 2nd of three video games in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics simply received their first assembly 123-93 in Atlanta on November 4. They’ll meet yet another time in Boston on January 18. The Celtics are 246-148 total all time in opposition to the Hawks and 132-44 in video games performed in Boston.
The Hawks have been off since Saturday and after this sport, received’t play once more till Friday when they are going to play the Wizards at house. They need to be effectively rested, though they may also be brief handed. They’ll then head out on a 4 sport street journey via Portland, Sacramento, Golden State and Chicago. The need then face the Mavericks at house after which have a house and residential set in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Celtics are taking part in within the first half of again to again video games. They’ll play at Brooklyn on Wednesday. That is their second again to again set, having received each halves in opposition to the Hornets within the first one. After Brooklyn on Wednesday, the Celtics will host Toronto after which Cleveland earlier than a sport on the street in Washington. They’ll return house for video games in opposition to the Timberwolves and the Clippers.
The Celtics could also be with out some key gamers on this sport. Jayson Tatum rolled his ankle on what ought to have been a Flagrant 1 on Giannis Antetokounmpo however remained within the sport. He’s questionable for this sport. Al Horford is questionable for this sport as a result of a left huge toe sprain. He’ll doubtless miss this sport and play on Wednesday in opposition to the Nets. Jaden Springer is questionable with a knee harm. Kristaps Porzingis stays out as he rehabs from ankle surgical procedure. I’m undecided who will begin if Tatum and Horford are each out. I’m pondering that Tatum will play and that Queta will begin in Horford’s place.
The Hawks shall be very brief handed with 7 gamers on the harm checklist. Vit Krejci is out with a proper adductor harm. Bogdan Bogdanovic is out after a medical process to repair his proper hamstring tendinopathy. Kobe Bufkin is recovering from a shoulder subluxation and can also be out. Seth Lundy (ankle), De’Andre Hunter (knee), and Cody Zeller (private) are all out as effectively. Trae Younger can also be out as a result of proper Achilles tendinitis. I’m simply taking a wild guess that Keaton Wallace will fill in for Younger within the beginning lineup.
Possible Celtics Starters
Grid View
Celtics ReservesPayton PritchardBaylor ScheiermanXavier Tillman, SrJordan WalshSam HauserLuke Kornet
2 Approach PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Accidents/OutKristaps Porzingis (ankle) outJaden Springer (knee) questionable Jayson Tatum (ankle) questionableAl Horford (toe) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Hawks Starters
Grid View
Hawks Reserves Mouhamed GueyeGarrison Mathews Onyeka OkongwuLarry Nance, JrDavid Roddy
2 Approach Gamers Dominick BarlowSeth LundyKeaton Wallace
Accidents/Out Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) out Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) out Vit Kretjci (thigh) out Seth Lundy (ankle) outDe’Andre Hunter (knee) outCody Zeller (private) outTrae Younger (Achilles) out
Head Coach Quin Snyder
Key Matchups
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Jayson Tatum
Photograph by Stacy Revere/Getty Photographs
Jalen Johnson
Photograph by Paras Griffin/Getty Photographs
Jayson Tatum vs Jalen JohnsonJohnson is averaging 19 factors, 10.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals per sport. He’s capturing 45.1% from the sphere and 30.2% from past the arc. Within the first sport in opposition to Boston, Johnson completed with 20 factors, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal whereas capturing 35% from the sphere and 28.6% on threes. Tatum could also be out for this one and in that case, whoever begins right here must defend Johnson very effectively as he’ll doubtless be their finest participant.
Grid View
Jaylen Brown
Photograph by Kent Smith/NBAE through Getty Photographs
Zaccharie Risacher
Photograph by Paras Griffin/Getty Photographs
Jaylen Brown vs Zaccharie RisacherThe primary decide within the draft has been beginning as a result of an harm to De’Andre Hunter and he has been up and down in his play to this point. He’s averaging 12 factors, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1 block per sport. He’s capturing 37.9% from the sphere and 25.3% from past the arc. Towards the Celtics within the first sport in opposition to Boston, he completed with 15 factors, 3 rebounds and a couple of assists whereas capturing 40% from the sphere and 16.7% on threes.
Honorable Point out Derrick White vs Dyson DanielsDaniels is averaging 12.4 factors, 4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and three steals per sport. He’s capturing 45% from the sphere and 27.8% from past the arc. Within the first sport in opposition to the Celtics, he completed with 8 factors, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal whereas capturing 44.4% from the sphere and didn’t hit a 3 pointer. Jaylen Brown is on his second sport again from a hip harm and hopefully shall be again to full energy on this one.
Keys to the Sport Protection – Protection is at all times the important thing to profitable video games. The Celtics have a defensive ranking of 108.7 which is fifth whereas the Hawks have a defensive ranking of 117.6, which is twenty sixth. Towards the Bucks, the Celtics allowed 69 factors within the first half earlier than clamping on protection to gap them to 38 factors within the second half. The Celtics should make protection a precedence on this sport they usually need to play that powerful protection for 48 minutes and never simply when they’re down and their backs are in opposition to the wall. The Celtics must particularly guard the paint because the Hawks are 4th within the league with 53.8 factors within the paint per sport.
Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is a key to profitable. A lot of rebounding is effort and need. When the Celtics put out the additional effort on the boards, it normally carries via to the remainder of their sport. The Hawks are averaging 42.5 rebounds per sport (twentieth) whereas the Celtics are averaging 45.3 rebounds per sport (sixteenth). The Celtics haven’t been rebounding in addition to they did final season and they should aggressively go after each rebound. They’ll’t afford to provide the Hawks further possessions and 2nd likelihood factors by permitting them to beat them to rebounds.
Effort and Ball Motion – The Celtics have began the previous couple of video games very slowly and ended up in a gap. They then needed to flip up the trouble and double down on protection down the stretch with a view to squeak out a win. The Celtics have to maneuver the ball and never play hero ball. Additionally they must play with most effort for 48 minutes and never permit the Hawks to construct a lead or if the Celtics construct a lead, they should preserve it and never permit the Hawks to come back again. They need to get again to taking part in exhausting proper from the start and transfer the ball all through the sport and never simply when they’re behind and determined.
Depth – With each groups doubtless lacking key gamers for this sport, group depth will certainly are available to play. Payton Pritchard has introduced vitality and environment friendly scoring off the bench and the Celtics want him to proceed. Sam Hauser has struggled since lacking time with again soreness and hopefully he can get again on monitor. The Celtics additionally want their again up bigs to select up their video games to fill in for lacking gamers.
X-Elements Dwelling Courtroom- They name it house court docket benefit for a purpose and the Celtics must benefit from taking part in on their house court docket. The Celtics must get motivation from the house crowd, which must be loud and doing every thing of their energy to help the Celtics and rattle the Hawks. The Hawks have the distractions of journey and an unfamiliar enviornment and a hostile crowd and hopefully that may give the Celtics a bonus.
Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport a little bit in a different way with some calling it tight and others letting them play. Some refs simply make head scratching calls whereas others strive very exhausting to get them proper. Generally they’re tech loopy for each little factor. In some video games they name the two halves fully in a different way. The Celtics have to regulate to how the sport is being referred to as and deal with taking part in the sport and never on the officiating.
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