The Celtics host the Golden State Warriors for the primary of two video games this season. They are going to meet once more on January 20 in San Francisco. It is a sport that the majority Celtics followers have had circled because the schedule got here out. If the gamers are sincere, they’ve additionally had this sport circled. Warriors coach, Steve Kerr, coached the Olympics staff he handled Jayson Tatum shabbily, not enjoying him in 2 video games and restricted minutes in others.
It is a rematch of the 2022 Finals that the Warriors received in 6 video games. Since that Finals assembly, these two groups have break up their video games with every staff profitable at residence. Final season, the Celtics demolished the Warriors 140-88 in Boston whereas the Warriors received 132-126 at Golden State. The Celtics lead the all time sequence 210-139 general and 116-40 in video games performed in Boston.
The Celtics stood pat for essentially the most half within the off season, bringing again their total core of gamers and dropping simply Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett. They added Baylor Scheierman, who was the thirtieth choose within the draft and signed 2nd spherical choose, Anton Watson to a 2 approach contract. They’ve one open roster spot that they’re prone to hold open in case of harm through the season. They’ve additionally added a few chips on their shoulder after Olympic snubs and different drama over the summer time, largely due to Warriors coach, Steve Kerr.
The Warriors made some important adjustments after ending tenth within the West final season. They waived Chris Paul. They made the primary 6 staff signal and commerce of Klay Thompson to the Mavericks for Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson. They misplaced Dario Saric to free company. They traded 2 second spherical picks for Lindy Waters III. They signed 52nd choose within the draft, Quinten Put up.
The Celtics had been anticipated to be among the many high contenders once more this season after bringing again their championship staff from final season. The Warriors struggled final season and after dropping Klay Thompson, a key a part of their championship groups, they weren’t anticipated to do very nicely this season. Nevertheless, they’re stunning everybody by beginning the season 6-1, with their solely loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. They’ve received their final 4 video games, together with 2 video games over the Pelicans and a win over each the Rockets and the Wizards.
The Celtics are coming back from a 4 sport street journey the place they went 3-1, dropping to the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics will likely be bouncing round over the following few video games, with 2 video games at residence earlier than enjoying on the Bucks then residence vs the Hawks after which on the street once more to go to the Nets. The Warriors are enjoying within the third sport of a 5 sport street journey, with video games at Cleveland and OKC earlier than as soon as once more heading residence.
The Celtics will likely be with out Kristaps Porzingis, who continues to be rehabbing from off season ankle surgical procedure and isn’t anticipated again till December. Jaylen Brown will miss his third straight sport with a hip harm. I’m going to guess that Joe Mazzulla will as soon as once more begin the double bigs. I’m guessing that Queta will begin once more, however it could be Kornet or Tillman. With Joe, it’s exhausting to inform. Solely De’Anthony Melton (again) is out for the Warriors.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesPayton PritchardLuke KornetJaden SpringerXavier Tillman, SrJordan WalshSam Hauser
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Accidents/OutKristaps Porzingis (ankle) outJaylen Brown (hip) outBaylor Scheierman (GLeague) out
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Warriors Starters
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Warriors Reserves Kyle AndersonBuddy HieldJohathan KumingaKevon LooneyMoses MoodyPrandin Podziemski Gui SantosLindy Waters III
2 Means PlayersReece BeekmanQuinten PostPat Spencer
Head CoachSteve Kerr
Key Matchups
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Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Justin Casterline/Getty Pictures
Stephen Curry
Photograph by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Pictures
Jrue Vacation vs Stephen CurryCurry continues to be the Warriors greatest participant and it is going to be necessary for the Celtics to attempt to restrict his scoring. He’s averaging 19.8 factors, 4.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.5 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 41.2% from the sector and 41.7% from past the arc. The Celtics must particularly guard him on the perimeter as he can hit from just about wherever on the court docket.
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Payton Pritchard
Photograph by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures
Buddy Hield
Photograph by Tim Warner/Getty Pictures
Payton Pritchard vs Buddy Hield As soon as once more, we’ve got a matchup between sixth Man of the 12 months candidates. Payton Pritchard (+400) and Buddy Hield (+550) are first and second in odds to win sixth man. Hield is averaging 21.9 factors, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 51.4% from the sector and 50% from past the arc. The largest query about Hield is whether or not he can sustain that sort of manufacturing since he has been inconsistent in earlier years.
Honorable MentionDerrick White vs Andrew WigginsWiggins is averaging 15.8 factors, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1 block per sport. He’s taking pictures 44.8% from the sector and 44.8% from past the arc. As soon as once more the Celtics might want to persist with him on the perimeter the place he’s taking pictures very nicely. Derrick White might want to step up a bit extra to assist to make up for Jaylen Brown’s contributions.
Keys to the Sport Protection – Protection is all the time the important thing to profitable. The Celtics are 1st within the league, averaging 123.6 factors per sport. They’re 4th within the league with a defensive ranking of 107.7. The Warriors are third within the league, averaging 121.6 factors per sport. The Warriors are 2nd with a defensive ranking of 102.1. The Celtics should commit to creating protection their precedence on this sport. It’s extremely seemingly that the staff that defends higher on this sport would be the winner.
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. The Celtics are 18th with 43.8 rebounds per sport whereas the Warriors are 1st with 49 rebounds per sport. It takes effort to seize rebounds and the Celtics should make an additional effort to crash the boards and beat the Warriors to rebounds. The Warriors are sixth with 16.7 second probability factors per sport and so the Celtics particularly must hold them from getting offensive rebounds.
Transfer the Ball Rigorously – The Celtics play the perfect after they transfer the ball and discover the open man. They battle extra when gamers attempt to do an excessive amount of and when the ball sticks with one participant too lengthy and after they take fast photographs with out in search of the perfect shot. The Celtics are twenty second with 23.9 assists per sport. They should look to share the ball and never over dribble or attempt to take over on the expense of open teammates. They must watch out with their passes because the Warriors are 2nd with 21.4 factors off turnovers per sport. The Warriors transfer the ball very nicely and are third with 30.4 assists per sport.
3 Level Capturing – Each of those groups take loads of threes. The Celtics are 1st with 50.9 three level makes an attempt per sport. The Warriors are 4th, taking 42 threes per sport. The Warriors shoot a better proportion from 3 with 39.1% in comparison with 37.3% for the Celtics. Each groups will seemingly take loads of 3 pointers on this sport as nicely and rather a lot will come right down to which staff makes their threes and which staff misses them.
X-FactorsHome Sport vs Street Fatigue – The Warriors have received the primary 2 video games on this street journey and have 2 extra video games to go on the journey after this one.. The Warriors are away from household and residential and have the distractions of staying in a resort and enjoying in an unfamiliar enviornment in entrance of a (very) hostile crowd. Hopefully the Celtics crowd will likely be loud and rowdy and provides the Celtics additional power to avenge Kerr’s remedy of Tatum within the Olympics together with their loss within the 2022 Finals. The Celtics simply returned residence from a 4 sport street journey and generally the primary sport at residence after a street journey is a tricky one.
Officiating – Officiating all the time has the potential to be a think about each sport. Each officiating staff calls the sport in a different way. Some name it tight and others allow them to play. Some favor the house staff whereas some name it evenly. Nevertheless the sport is known as, the Celtics should modify to it and never permit the officiating to remove their give attention to enjoying the sport. Complaining about calls not often adjustments something apart from to remove from their give attention to enjoying the sport and irritate the officers.
