The Celtics attain the top of their 4 sport Western highway journey with a go to to the San Antonio Spurs. The Celtics misplaced the primary two video games on their highway journey to the Denver Nuggets, who’re first within the West, and to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, who’re thirteenth within the West. The Celtics then defeated the Dallas Mavericks, ending their 7 sport win streak. That is the primary of two conferences between these two groups this season. They are going to play once more in Boston on March 26.
The Celtics are 1st within the East, 1 sport forward of the 2nd place Brooklyn Nets and a couple of video games forward of the third place Milwaukee Bucks, who misplaced by 29 factors to the Hornets on Friday. The Celtics are 12-7 on the highway and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They received their final sport after dropping the primary two video games on the highway journey. They’re 12-4 in opposition to Western Convention opponents.
The Spurs are 14th within the Western Convention. They’re 4 video games behind thirteenth place Oklahoma Cityand 2.5 video games forward of the final place Houston Rockets. They’re 8-13 at residence and 3-7 of their final 10 video games. They’d misplaced 3 straight video games earlier than beating the Pistons on Friday. They’re 8-6 in opposition to Japanese Convention opponents.
The Spurs are taking part in on the second evening of again to again video games. They confronted the Detroit Pistons at residence on Wednesday. They’re 1-6 on within the second of again to again video games. The Celtics misplaced the collection 0-2 final season. They’re 43-56 general all time in opposition to the Spurs and 21-28 in video games performed in San Antonio. The final time they performed in San Antoinio, Derrick White was the Spurs beginning capturing guard.
The Celtics have simply Danilo Gallinari on the damage checklist as he rehabs from the torn ACL he suffered within the off season. The Spurs had simply Devin Vassell on their damage checklist on Friday however have added Jakob Poeltl with an Achilles damage and Keldon Johnson with a hamstring damage. Going by their depth chart I’ll guess that Zach Collins begins for Poeltl and Doug McDermott begins for Johnson.
Possible Celtics Starters
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PG: Marcus SmartSG: Derrick WhiteSF: Jaylen BrownPF: Jayson TatumC: Al Horford
Celtics ReservesMalcolm BrogdonGrant WilliamsRobert Williams III Sam HauserPayton PritchardBlake GriffinJustin JacksonLuke Kornet
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonMfiondu Kabengele
Out/InjuriesDanilo Gallinari (ACL) out
Head Coach (Interim)Joe Mazzulla
Possible Spurs Starters
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PG: Tre JonesSG: Romeo LangfordSF: Doug McDermottPF: Jeremy SochanC: Zach Collins
Spurs ReservesKeita Bates-DiopMalaki BranhamStanley JohnsonJosh RichardsonIsaiah RobyBlake Wesley
Two Means PlayersDominick BarlowCharles Bassey
Out/InjuriesDevin Vassell (knee) outJakob Poeltl (Achilles) outKeldon Johnson (hamstring) out
Head Coach Gregg Popovich
Key Matchups
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Derrick White vs Romeo LangfordWhen these two groups final met in San Antonio, Derrick White began at capturing guard and Romeo Langford was a Celtic. Everyone knows that when gamers face their former groups they one way or the other develop into tremendous stars. Langford is averaging 6.9 factors, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists. He’s capturing 49.6% from the sphere and 27.3% from past the arc. The Celtics have to be prepared for his greatest shot.
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Marcus Good vs Tre JonesJones is averaging 12.8 factors, 3.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.4 steals per sport. He’s capturing 43.8% from the sphere and however simply 27.6% from past the arc. The Celtics have to protect him for the move in addition to the shot and in addition watch out round him as a result of he’s a risk to make a steal.
Honorable MentionAl Horford vs Zach CollinsIt’s only a guess that Collins will get the beginning rather than Poeltl. Collins is averaging 9.2 factors, 5.5 rebounds, and a couple of.4 assists. He’s capturing 55.7% from the sphere and 38.6% from past the arc. The Celtics want to stick with him particularly within the paint to stop rebounds and put backs.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is an important key to profitable video games. The Celtics have strayed from their defensive identification of final season however they’ve proven glimpses of returning to that protection at occasions this season. The Celtics are seventh with a defensive score of 111.1 whereas the Spurs are thirtieth with a defensive score of 119.2. The Celtics should particularly defend within the paint because the Spurs are eighth with 53.9 factors within the paint per sport. The Celtics have to make protection a precedence and play powerful crew protection in each sport and never let up.
Rebound – The Celtics can’t rating in the event that they don’t have the ball, and they’re going to wrestle if they offer up second likelihood factors to the Spurs, who’re sixth within the league with 15.9 second likelihood factors per sport. The Celtics are averaging 43.9 rebounds per sport whereas the Spurs are averaging 42.6 rebounds per sport. Rebounding takes effort and when the Celtics put forth the additional effort on the boards, that tends to unfold to different areas of the sport as effectively.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have to play exhausting and be the extra aggressive crew. They should go after rebounds, free balls, and 50/50 balls. They should be aggressive on protection and in attending to the basket. They should be the crew that works more durable and needs it extra. They’ve allowed groups just like the Magic and Thunder to play more durable than them and misplaced to groups they need to have simply beat. They need to not make that mistake once more.
Play the Proper Means – The Celtics want to maneuver the ball to seek out the very best shot. After they play hero ball and don’t preserve the ball shifting, the Celtics are straightforward to beat. However, after they preserve the ball shifting and transfer with out the ball, they’re very powerful to beat. They should give attention to taking part in protection and having every others backs. They should crash the boards and field out. They should give attention to taking and making good pictures. If the three’s aren’t falling, take the ball to the basket. Play with focus and with vitality.
Don’t Underestimate – The Celtics have confronted a number of of the underside groups and misplaced to them as a result of they got here out and performed with little or no effort, anticipating a simple win, however as a substitute obtained the very best shot from a younger crew. They’ve misplaced to the Magic twice, the Pacers, and the SGA-less Thunder, all of whom they need to have overwhelmed. The Spurs are a backside crew and in addition lacking three of their high gamers. The Celtics can’t chill out as they did earlier than the Thunder sport or they may as soon as once more endure a loss in a sport they need to simply win with a bit of effort.
X-Elements Street Recreation – The Celtics are taking part in on the highway as soon as once more. Journey and staying in lodges generally is a distraction and also can take a toll on gamers. Enjoying in entrance of a hostile crowd will also be a distraction, particularly for youthful gamers. The Celtics should put all of these distractions apart and give attention to taking part in their sport. The final sport of a highway journey is all the time a troublesome one.
Teaching – Gregg Popovich is taken into account by most to be probably the greatest coaches within the league. Joe Mazzulla has been a school assistant coach for 7 years and spent 1 yr as an assistant with the Purple Claws and three years as an assistant with the Celtics. That is his first yr as a head coach. Ime Udoka misplaced each video games to the Spurs final season. Can Joe Mazzulla do higher this season? Matchups and training technique chould come into play on this sport.
Officiating – Officiating is all the time an X-Issue. Each crew officiates in a different way and groups want to regulate to the best way the sport is known as. Will they name the sport evenly or favor the house crew? Will they name it tight or allow them to play? Hopefully we get truthful officiating and so they allow them to play and the Celtics give attention to taking part in the proper means and never get distracted by the unhealthy calls and no calls.
