Boston Celtics (35-19) at Golden State Warriors (29-26)Thursday, February 19, 202610:00 PM ETRegular Season Sport #55 Highway Sport #28TV: Prime Video, NBCSB, NBCSBARadio: 98.5 Sports activities Hub, 95.7 The Sport, Sirius XMChase Middle
The Celtics start the stretch run after the All Star break with a go to to the Golden State Warriors. That is the primary of two conferences between these two groups this season. They are going to meet for a 2nd and last time in Boston on March 18, They break up the collection 1-1 final season with every crew profitable on the street. In actual fact, over the previous 4 seasons, the Celtics and Warriors have break up the collection 1-1 each season. The Celtics are 211-141 all time total in opposition to the Warriors and 79-86 in video games performed on the Warriors.
Each groups are fairly completely different from those who performed one another in January of 2025. Within the off season, the Warriors misplaced Kevon Looney to the Pelicans and signed Al Horford, Seth Curry and De’Anthony Melton. On the commerce deadline, they traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis. In addition they traded Trayce Jackson-Davis to Toronto for a second spherical choose.
The Celtics are 2nd within the East, 5.5 video games behind 1st place Detroit. They’re half a recreation forward of third place New York, 1.5 video games forward of 4th place Cleveland, 3.5 video games forward of fifth place Toronto, 4 video games forward of sixth place Philadelphia and 6.5 video games forward of seventh place Orlando. The Celtics are 11-6 in opposition to Western Convention opponents. They’re 17-10 on the street and 7-3 of their final 10 video games. They’re coming off a win of their final recreation.
The Warriors are eighth within the West, 12.5 video games behind the first place Thunder, 4.5 video games behind the fifth place Lakers and the sixth place Timberwolves, and three video games behind seventh place Phoenix. They’re 2.5 video games forward of ninth place Portland and the tenth place Clippers. They’re 18-10 at house and 4-6 of their final 10 video games. They’re 10-10 in opposition to Japanese Convention opponents and they’re coming off a loss of their final recreation.
The Celtics are starting a 4 recreation Western street journey via Golden State, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix, and Denver. They are going to then return house for video games in opposition to Brooklyn and Philadelphia earlier than a recreation at Milwaukee. Then they’re again house for video games in opposition to Charlotte and Dallas earlier than a troublesome 3 recreation street journey via Cleveland San Antonio, and Oklahoma Metropolis. Then they host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State.
After this recreation at house, the Warriors will host Denver earlier than taking part in New Orleans and Memphis on the street. Then they’re again house to play each the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. They then play at Houston, at Oklahoma Metropolis and at Utah earlier than 2 video games at house in opposition to Chicago and Minnesota earlier than a 6 recreation street journey via New York, Washington, Boston, Detroit, Atlanta and Dallas.
Presently, solely Jayson Tatum is out for the Celtics whereas rumors abound as to when he’ll return. The Celtics signed 2 gamers on Thursday morning to deliver their complete variety of rostered gamers to 14 as required by the NBA. They signed former Celtic Delano Banton to a ten day contract. In addition they transformed 2 means participant John Tonje to a ten day contract. This enables them to stay below the tax line and meet the roster necessities. They’re anticipated to be with the crew for tonight’s recreation.
For the Warriors, Jimmy Butler is out after tearing his ACLin December. Seth Curry is out attributable to sciatica. Stephen Curry missed the final 5 video games earlier than the break with a knee damage and took part within the scrimmage on Wednesday however will miss this recreation. Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) participated in follow on Tuesday and scrimmage on Wednesday and is questionable for this recreation.
Possible Beginning Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Pat Spencer
SG: Baylor Scheierman vs De’Anthony Melton
SF: Jaylen Brown vs Moses Moody
PF: Sam Hauser vs Gui Santos
C: Neemias Queta vs Draymond Inexperienced
Celtics ReservesPayton PritchardHugo GonzalezLuka GarzaAmare WilliamsNikola VucevicJordan WalshJohn TonjeDelano Banton
2-Approach PlayersRon Harper, JrMax Shulga
Accidents/OutJayson Tatum (Achilles) outHead CoachJoe Mazzulla
Warriors ReservesPat SpencerAl HorfordGary Payton IIBrandin PodziemskiQuinten Put up
2 Approach PlayersLJ CryerMalevy LeonsNate Williams
Accidents/OutJimmy Butler (knee) outSeth Curry (again) outStephen Curry (knee) outKristaps Porzingis (Achilles) questionableHead CoachSteve Kerr
Key Matchups Jaylen Brown vs Moses MoodyMoody is averaging 11.5 factors, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 43.7% from the sphere and 40.1% from past the arc. In his final recreation in opposition to the Spurs he completed with 17 factors, 4 rebounds, and a couple of assists and three threes made. The Celtics have to particularly defend him on the perimeter as he can burn them with threes.
Neemias Queta vs Draymond GreenGreen is averaging 8.6 factors, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per recreation whereas taking pictures 41.7% from the sphere and 32.7% from past the sphere. in his final recreation, in opposition to the Spurs, he completed with 17 factors, 12 rebounds, and eight assists whereas taking pictures 42.9% from the sphere and 25% from past the arc. He’s able to having an enormous recreation but in addition able to melting down and getting tossed.Honorable MentionNicolas Vucevic vs Kristaps PorzingisThis is a matchup of the Celtics commerce deadline acquisition vs the Warriors commerce deadline acquisition. Porzingis is averaging 17.4 factors, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 blocks in 16 video games this season. He’s taking pictures 46.2% from the sphere and 34.6% from past the arc. Vucevic is averaging 16.7 factors, 9.0 rebounds, and three.7 assists in 51 video games this season. He’s taking pictures 50.4% from the sphere and 37.8% from past the arc.
Keys to the GameDefense – Protection is all the time the important thing to profitable. The Celtics are fifth within the league, averaging 117.5 factors per recreation. They’re ninth within the league with a defensive score of 112.6. The Warriors are eighth within the league, with a defensive score of 112.5. The Celtics are 2nd with an offensive score of 120.2 whereas the Warriors are fifteenth and have an offensive score of 114.3. The Celtics have performed good protection in spurts just lately and have slacked off on protection in spurts as effectively. They should get again to taking part in lock down protection persistently. The Celtics have to particularly defend the perimeter because the Warriors are 1st within the league making 16.3 threes per recreation. They’re final with 43.4 factors within the paint per recreation.
Rebound – Rebounding is all the time a key to profitable as you want the ball to attain and a great way to get it’s to seize rebounds. It takes effort to seize rebounds and the Celtics should make an additional effort to crash the boards and beat the Warriors to rebounds. In the event that they put out additional effort on the boards, that often carries via to the remainder of their recreation. Extra rebounds offers them additional possessions and limits the possessions for the Warriors. The Warriors are twenty fourth with 42.5 rebounds per recreation whereas the Celtics are eighth with 45.4 rebounds per recreation.
Three Pointers – Each of those groups shoot loads of 3 pointers. The Celtics are 2nd within the league, taking pictures 42.4 threes a recreation. The Warriors are 1st, taking pictures 45.1 threes a recreation. The Celtics shoot 36.3% from past the arc whereas the Warriors shoot 36.2% on threes. Just lately the Celtics have struggled as a crew taking pictures 3’s. They must get their focus again on observe and hit their threes and in the event that they nonetheless aren’t falling, they should get into the paint.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have to be the extra aggressive crew from begin to end. They have to be aggressive in going to the ring, in crashing the boards, in combating for free balls and in working the court docket. In addition they must be extra aggressive on protection. They must be the crew that desires it extra. When the Celtics have misplaced this season, it’s largely been as a result of they allowed their opponents to be extra aggressive and to play more durable than them. Effort and being extra aggressive will probably be the distinction on this recreation.
X-FactorsOn the Highway and Rust- The Celtics are on the street and have traveled throughout the nation via 3 time zones to get there. The Celtics have to shake off the distractions of journey, being away from house, and taking part in on the street in entrance of a hostile crowd, to not point out jet lag and getting used to a unique time zone. They should concentrate on taking part in the proper means and never on the distractions of taking part in on the street. Each groups have been off for per week for the All Star break and the Celtics have to shake off the rust and get again to taking part in like a effectively oiled machine faster than the Warriors.
Officiating – Officiating all the time has the potential to be a consider each recreation. Each officiating crew calls the sport in another way. Some name it tight and others allow them to play. Some favor the house crew whereas some name it evenly. Nevertheless the sport is known as, the Celtics should modify to it and never enable the officiating to remove their concentrate on taking part in the sport. Complaining about calls not often adjustments something aside from to remove from their concentrate on taking part in the sport and irritate the officers.
