After a come from behind win at Milwaukee on Sunday, the Celtics return dwelling for the 2nd of three video games towards the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics simply gained their first assembly 123-93 in Atlanta on November 4. They’ll meet another time in Boston on January 18. The Celtics are 246-148 general all time towards the Hawks and 132-44 in video games performed in Boston.
The Hawks have been off since Saturday and after this recreation, gained’t play once more till Friday when they may play the Wizards at dwelling. They need to be nicely rested, though they will even be brief handed. They’ll then head out on a 4 recreation street journey via Portland, Sacramento, Golden State and Chicago. The need then face the Mavericks at dwelling after which have a house and residential set towards the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Celtics are enjoying 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 gained each halves towards the Hornets within the first one. After Brooklyn on Wednesday, the Celtics will host Toronto after which Cleveland earlier than a recreation on the street in Washington. They’ll return dwelling for video games towards the Timberwolves and the Clippers.
The Celtics could also be with out some key gamers on this recreation. Jayson Tatum rolled his ankle on what ought to have been a Flagrant 1 on Giannis Antetokounmpo however remained within the recreation. He’s questionable for this recreation. Al Horford is questionable for this recreation as a consequence of a left large toe sprain. He’ll possible miss this recreation and play on Wednesday towards the Nets. Jaden Springer is questionable with a knee damage. 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 will probably be very brief handed with 7 gamers on the damage listing. Vit Krejci is out with a proper adductor damage. 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 nicely. Trae Younger can also be out as a consequence 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
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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
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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 recreation. He’s capturing 45.1% from the sector and 30.2% from past the arc. Within the first recreation towards Boston, Johnson completed with 20 factors, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal whereas capturing 35% from the sector and 28.6% on threes. Tatum could also be out for this one and if that’s the case, whoever begins right here must defend Johnson very nicely as he’ll possible be their finest participant.
Grid View
Jaylen Brown
Photograph by Kent Smith/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs
Zaccharie Risacher
Photograph by Paras Griffin/Getty Photographs
Jaylen Brown vs Zaccharie RisacherThe primary choose within the draft has been beginning as a consequence of an damage 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 recreation. He’s capturing 37.9% from the sector and 25.3% from past the arc. In opposition to the Celtics within the first recreation towards Boston, he completed with 15 factors, 3 rebounds and a couple of assists whereas capturing 40% from the sector 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 recreation. He’s capturing 45% from the sector and 27.8% from past the arc. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, he completed with 8 factors, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal whereas capturing 44.4% from the sector and didn’t hit a 3 pointer. Jaylen Brown is on his second recreation again from a hip damage and hopefully will probably be again to full energy on this one.
Keys to the Sport Protection – Protection is all the time the important thing to successful video games. The Celtics have a defensive score of 108.7 which is fifth whereas the Hawks have a defensive score of 117.6, which is twenty sixth. In opposition to 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 recreation they usually must play that powerful protection for 48 minutes and never simply when they’re down and their backs are towards 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 recreation.
Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is a key to successful. A lot of rebounding is effort and want. When the Celtics put out the additional effort on the boards, it often carries via to the remainder of their recreation. The Hawks are averaging 42.5 rebounds per recreation (twentieth) whereas the Celtics are averaging 45.3 rebounds per recreation (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 present the Hawks additional 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 hassle 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. In addition they must play with most effort for 48 minutes and never enable the Hawks to construct a lead or if the Celtics construct a lead, they should hold it and never enable the Hawks to return again. They must get again to enjoying onerous 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 possible lacking key gamers for this recreation, workforce depth will certainly are available to play. Payton Pritchard has introduced power 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 choose up their video games to fill in for lacking gamers.
X-Components Residence Courtroom- They name it dwelling court docket benefit for a cause and the Celtics must make the most of enjoying on their dwelling court docket. The Celtics must get motivation from the house crowd, which ought to be loud and doing every little thing of their energy to assist 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 all the time an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport just a little 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 onerous to get them proper. Typically 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 give attention to enjoying the sport and never on the officiating.
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