The Celtics full their 4 sport Western highway journey with a cease in Denver to tackle the Nuggets. The Celtics shall be seeking to finish the highway journey on a excessive notice to erase the dangerous style from that loss to the Thunder on Sunday. That is the primary of two video games between these two groups. They’ll meet once more on March 2 in Boston.
The Nuggets gained the sequence 2-0 final season. These two groups met twice in Abu Dhabi within the preseason. The Celtics gained the primary sport 107-103 they usually gained the second sport 130-104. The Celtics are 58-40 total all time towards the Nuggets and they’re 20-30 in video games performed in Denver. The Celtics final performed on Sunday whereas the Nuggets final performed on Saturday.
The Celtics stay 2nd within the East, 5.5 video games behind the primary place Cavaliers, who’ve gained their final 10 video games. The Celtics are 2 video games forward of the third place Knicks and 5.5 video games forward of the 4th place Magic. They’re 13-4 on the highway and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 4-3 towards Western Convention groups and are coming off a loss of their final sport.
The Nuggets are 4th within the West, 9.5 video games behind the primary place Thunder. They’re 2.5 video games behind the second place Rockets and a couple of video games behind the third place Grizzlies. They’re half a sport forward of the fifth place Lakers, sixth place Mavericks and seventh place Clippers. They’re 10-6 at dwelling and 6-4 of their final 10 video games. They’re 7-4 towards Jap Convention groups and are coming off a win of their final sport.
The Nuggets misplaced their beginning two guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic in free company. In addition they misplaced Reggie Jackson and Justin Vacation. They’ve added a few very key gamers in Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric together with DaRon Holmes II. Holmes was misplaced for the season with a torn Achilles whereas Westbrook has moved into the beginning lineup.
That is the fourth and last sport of a 4 sport Western highway journey that began with again to again wins in Minnesota on Thursday and in Houston on Friday. They then misplaced a really robust sport to the Thunder on Sunday. They’ll return dwelling to face 2 extra Western Convention groups, Sacramento and New Orleans. They then head to Toronto to face the Raptors for the third time. They’ll then host Orlando and Atlanta earlier than their 2nd Western highway journey of the month by means of Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers and Dallas.
The Nuggets gained in San Antonio on Saturday of their final sport. This sport is the primary sport of a 3 sport dwelling stand. They’ll host the Clippers and Nets after this sport. They then go on the highway for two video games in Dallas towards the Mavericks. They’ll host the Rockets earlier than taking part in at Miami and Orlando. Then again dwelling to host Philadelphia and Sacramento earlier than a 5 sport highway journey by means of Minnesota, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Charlotte.
The Celtics initially had nobody on the damage report. Nevertheless, early Tuesday, they added Derrick White and Jordan Walsh as questionable, each as a consequence of an sickness. Derrick White has been dominated out for this sport. Sam Hauser will doubtless get the beginning. Jayson Tatum was bruised and scraped when he landed within the first row towards the Thunder however he’s anticipated to play.
For the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon is out with a calf damage and Christian Braun ought to begin in his place. Vlatko Cancar is out with a knee damage. DaRon Holmes II is out with an Achilles tear. Spencer Jones is out with a groin damage. Nikola Jokic was a really late addition as questionable as a consequence of an sickness.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesLuke KornetPayton PritchardNeemias QuetaBaylor ScheiermanJaden SpringerXavier Tillman, SrJordan WalshAl Horford
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Accidents/OutDerrick White (sickness) out Jordan Walsh (sickness) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Nuggets Starters
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Nuggets ReservesVlatko CancarDeAndre JordanZeke NnajiJalen PickettDario SaricJulian StrawtherHunter TysonPeyton Watson
2 Means PlayersTrey AlexanderPJ HallSpencer Jones
Out/InjuriesDaRon Holmes II (Achilles) outVlatko Cancar (knee) out Aaron Gordon (calf) outSpencer Jones (groin) outNikola Jokic (sickness) questionable
Head CoachMichael Malone
Key Matchups
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Kristaps Porzingis
Picture by G Fiume/Getty Photographs
Nikola Jokic
Picture by Matthew Stockman/Getty Photographs
Kristaps Porzingis vs Nikola JokicJokic is has gained 3 MVP’s and is within the dialog for MVP each season for a motive. He’s averaging 31 factors, 12.3 rebounds, 13.2 assists and 1.7 steals per sport. He’s capturing 55.3% from the sector and 47.3% from past the arc. Over his profession, towards the Celtics, he averaged 22.8 factors, 10.5 rebounds 6.9 assists and 1.2 steals per sport. He’s a handful and the Celtics have to attempt to sluggish him down by any means crucial.
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Jrue Vacation
Picture by Stacy Revere/Getty Photographs
Jamal Murray
Picture by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Photographs
Jrue Vacation vs Jamal MurrayMurray is averaging 19.4 factors, 4.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.6 steals per sport. He’s capturing 43.3% from the sector and 36.6% from past the arc. Over his profession, Murray has averaged 20.7 factors, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals towards the Celtics. The Celtics will want Jrue Vacation to proceed to play effectively on each ends of the court docket and they should defend Murray very effectively each on 3’s and within the paint as he can put up factors in a rush.
Honorable Point out Jaylen Brown vs Michael Porter, JrPorter is averaging 19.1 factors, 6.5 rebounds, and a couple of.6 assists. He’s capturing 52.4% from the sector and 42.3% from past the arc. Over his profession towards the Celtics, he averaged 10.4 factors and 5.5 rebounds. Porter is an excellent 3 level shooter and they also have to stick with him on the perimeter however he can even rating within the paint so the Celtics want to stick with him wherever he’s on the court docket.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is the important thing to successful each sport. The Celtics are sixth with a defensive score of 109.3. The Nuggets have a defensive score of 113.5, which is nineteenth. The Celtics common 118.5 factors per sport (4th), whereas the Nuggets common 120.8 factors per sport (third). The Nuggets are 1st within the league with 58.8 factors within the paint per sport and so the Celtics should particularly defend the paint and maintain the Nuggets away from the rim. The Celtics noticed first hand how protection can flip a sport when the Thunder clamped down on them within the second half on Sunday. They’re able to that kind of protection however they need to decide to it and put within the effort.
Rebound – Rebounding is one other key to successful each sport. The Celtics are tenth within the league, averaging 45.1 rebounds per sport. The Nuggets are seventh within the league with 45.4 rebounds per sport. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics need to work more durable to seize rebounds to restrict the Nuggets second probability factors and quick breaks because the Nuggets are first with 20 quick break factors per sport.
Effort and Power for 48 Minutes – The Celtics should be the extra aggressive staff. They need to combat for unfastened balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and simply play more durable than the Nuggets for your complete sport. They need to be the staff that wishes it extra and play prefer it. They particularly have to start the sport with power and never enable the Nuggets to race out to a giant lead they usually can’t let up all through the sport. They particularly have to come back out sturdy within the third quarter and play arduous till the ultimate buzzer. As proven towards the Thunder on Sunday, the staff that’s extra aggressive and that performs more durable often will get the good thing about extra calls from the refs as effectively.
Transfer the Ball Rigorously – The Celtics have to maintain shifting the ball to seek out the open man and make it a lot more durable to protect them. Nevertheless, they need to watch out with their passes and never flip the ball over because the Nuggets common 19.3 factors per sport off turnovers. The Celtics additionally must be cautious after they dribble the ball and never drive right into a crowd and switch the ball over. The Celtics are often superb at caring for the ball however they turned the ball over 16 instances towards the Thunder. They should do higher than that on this sport.
X-FactorsMile Excessive on the Street- It’s robust to win in Denver due to the altitude that the groups are taking part in at. Denver is named the Mile Excessive Metropolis as a result of it’s 5,280 toes above sea stage. Nuggets gamers are used to the altitude however visiting groups usually wrestle with taking part in there and infrequently are fatigued earlier than the tip of the sport. It’s a very distinctive dwelling court docket benefit. The Celtics additionally need to shake off the distractions of journey and taking part in in entrance of a hostile crowd.
Officiating – I do know that I say this each sport, however the officiating can at all times be an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport in a different way whether or not they name each little ticky tack foul or they let a whole lot of contact go and let the groups play. Some crews favor the house staff and the Celtics must be prepared for that. The Celtics have gotten to regulate to the way in which the sport is being known as and never let the calls have an effect on their focus or their play. In addition they have to maintain their minds on the sport and never always complain in regards to the calls as that does little to vary the calls and solely irritates the referees. Being extra aggressive will do extra to get extra calls than complaining.
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