The Celtics start a 3 recreation street journey with a cease in New Orleans to tackle the Pelicans. That is the 2nd, and remaining, recreation between these two groups this season. The Celtics gained the primary recreation 120-119 in Boston on January 12 when a CJ McCollum potential recreation winner rimmed out. The Celtics gained the sequence 2-0 final season. The Celtics are 27-21 general all time towards the Pelicans and 11-13 on the street.
The Pelicans had been energetic within the offseason. Their greatest transfer was to commerce Dyson Daniels, Cody Zeller, EJ Liddell and Larry Nance, Jr to Atlanta for Dejounte Murray. They signed former Celtic Daniel Theis and Antonio Reeves as free brokers. They claimed Brandon Boston off waivers and signed him to a 2 method contract. They drafted Yves Missi with the twenty first decide.
The Celtics stay 2nd within the East, 5.5 video games behind the primary place Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re simply 1 recreation forward of third place New York, who has gained their final 5 video games. They’re 5.5 video games forward of 4th place Milwaukee. They’re 17-6 on the street and 6-4 of their final 10 video games. They’re 9-6 vs Western Convention opponents and are coming off a win of their final recreation.
The Pelicans are 14th within the West. They’re 26 video games behind the primary place Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. They’re 12.5 video games behind tenth place Sacramento and the final play in spot. They’re half a recreation forward of fifteenth place Utah. They’re 8-17 at dwelling and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 6-15 towards Jap Convention opponents. They’ve misplaced their final 4 video games.
The Celtics simply accomplished a 1-1 dwelling stand, shedding to the Rockets and beating the Bulls. After this recreation on the Pelicans, they may play 2 extra street video games, enjoying at Philadelphia and Cleveland. Then one recreation at dwelling towards Dallas earlier than enjoying at New York and at Miami and at last, at dwelling towards San Antonio earlier than the All Star Break.
The Pelicans are enjoying within the second straight dwelling recreation, shedding to Dallas at dwelling on Wednesday. They may head out on a 4 recreation street journey after this recreation enjoying 2 straight video games at Denver after which at Sacramento and Oklahoma Metropolis. They may then play 2 video games at dwelling towards, each towards Sacramento. Then, after the All Star Break, they may play at Dallas and a pair of extra video games at dwelling towards Sacramento adopted by 2 video games at Phoenix, again to again.
Al Horford missed the final 2 video games towards Houston and Chicago with a left toe sprain however has been upgraded to possible for this recreation. Sam Hauser additionally missed the Celtics’ final 2 video games with a pinched nerve in his proper hip. He’s questionable for this recreation and will probably be a recreation time choice. Jayson Tatum was listed as questionable for the Bulls recreation with proper knee tendinopathy however performed in that recreation and isn’t on the damage report right now.
For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram is out with an ankle sprain. He hasn’t performed since December 7 and has not but been cleared for contact. Herb Jones is out with a labrum tear in his shoulder. Jordan Hawkins is questionable with a non-covid sickness and is taken into account to be a recreation time choice.
Key Matchups
Grid View
Jayson Tatum
Photograph by Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Zion Williamson
Photograph by Sean Gardner/Getty Pictures
Jayson Tatum vs Zion WilliamsonWilliamson is averaging 23.6 factors, 8.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 blocks per recreation. He’s capturing 52% from the sector and 18.2% from past the arc. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, he completed with 16 factors, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals whereas capturing 33.3% from the sector with no 3 pointers. The Celtics might want to defend him very carefully within the paint and midrange. He’s very laborious to cease when he will get a head of steam heading to the ring.
Grid View
Jaylen Brown
Photograph by Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Trey Murphy III
Photograph by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Pictures
Jaylen Brown vs Trey Murphy IIIMurphy is averaging 21.5 factors, 5.1 rebounds, and three.0 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He’s capturing 45.6% from the sector and 35.7% from past the arc. Within the first recreation he completed with 30 factors, 6 rebounds and 4 assists off the bench whereas capturing 58.8% from the sector and 50% from past the arc. The Celtics positively have to defend him higher on this recreation.
Honorable MentionDerrick White vs CJ McCollum McCollum is averaging 22 factors, 3.7 rebounds, and three.9 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 44.9% from the sector and 37.2% from past the arc. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, he completed with 13 factors, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block. He shot 33.3% from the sector however simply 16.7% from past the arc. McCollum can rating each in and out and so the Celtics have to defend him wherever he’s on the court docket. In his final recreation he handed Jrue Vacation for the franchise all time 3 level chief with 629 threes as a Pelican.
Keys to the GameDefense – Protection will at all times be the important thing to profitable. The Pelicans common 109.1 factors per recreation (twenty fourth) whereas the Celtics common 117.2 factors per recreation (fifth). The Celtics are fifth within the league with a defensive ranking of 109.5. The Pelicans are twenty eighth with a defensive ranking of 117.9. They must play powerful lock down protection for all 48 minutes in the event that they need to win this, or another, recreation.
Rebound – The Celtics must crash the boards as a workforce. Rebounding takes effort and once they put that additional effort out to dominate the boards, it typically interprets to all different areas of the sport as nicely. The Pelicans are averaging 43 rebounds (twenty fourth) and the Celtics are averaging 45 rebounds per recreation (eleventh). The Pelicans are fifth within the league with 15.5 second probability factors and so the Celtics are going to must work laborious to maintain them off the boards to maintain them from scoring second probability baskets.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are at their finest once they hold the ball shifting and so they discover the open man. They’d 32 assists towards the Bulls and gained by 22 factors. They’re 13-0 once they have 30 or extra assists in a recreation. However, once they lapse into iso ball, they battle to attain and the offense stalls out. They should hold the ball shifting and play workforce ball.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have gotten to be aggressive in going to the basket, enjoying protection, diving for free balls and simply enjoying tougher. Their effort and aggressiveness could make them very powerful to beat and their lack of it will probably make them weak as we have now seen a number of occasions this season already. They’re as soon as once more dealing with a workforce that performs laborious and are aggressive regardless of their shedding document. Too typically, the Celtics present a scarcity of effort towards dangerous groups and it typically comes again to chunk them. They’ll’t afford to return out with lower than 100% effort or to let up earlier than the ultimate buzzer.
X-Elements On the Street – The Celtics are enjoying on the street as soon as once more. Whether or not it’s the journey, resort dwelling, or an unfamiliar area and hostile followers, there are many distractions to hinder a workforce enjoying on the street. The Celtics want to return in targeted and never enable the distractions of enjoying away from dwelling to maintain them from enjoying their finest.
Officiating – Officiating at all times has the likelihood to be an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport otherwise. Some name each little bit of contact whereas some allow them to play. Some favor the house workforce and a few name it evenly and a few are simply dangerous. Hopefully the Celtics get a crew that calls it even and lets each groups play. Nevertheless the sport is named, they should concentrate on the sport and never enable dangerous or no calls to take that focus away.
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