The Celtics go to the Chicago Bulls to start the stretch run after the All Star break. That is the 2nd of three video games between these two groups this season. The Celtics received the primary recreation 124-97 in Boston on November 28. They’ll meet for a 3rd and remaining time in Chicago on March 23. These two groups tied the sequence 2-2 final season with every group successful 2 video games at dwelling.
The Celtics stay in first place within the East, 6 video games forward of 2nd place Cleveland, 8.5 video games forward of third place Milwaukee, 10 video games forward of 4th place New York, 10.5 video games forward of fifth place Philadelphia and 12.5 video games forward of sixth place Indiana. They’re 17-9 on the street and 8-2 of their final 10 video games. They’re 30-6 in opposition to Japanese Convention groups and have received their final 6 video games.
The Bulls are in ninth place, 6.5 video games behind sixth place Indiana and a assured spot within the playoffs. They’re 4 video games behind seventh place Miami and eighth place Orlando. They’re 2 video games forward of tenth place Atlanta and 4.5 video games forward of eleventh place Brooklyn and slipping out of play in competition. They’re 15-12 at dwelling and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 15-19 in opposition to Japanese Convention groups and are coming off a loss of their final recreation.
After this recreation at Chicago, the Celtics will head to New York after which may have 3 dwelling video games in opposition to Philadelphia, Dallas and Golden State earlier than heading out on a 5 recreation street journey by way of Cleveland, Denver, Phoenix, Portland and Utah. The Bulls will play at New Orleans subsequent after which Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee at dwelling.
The Celtics have simply Jaden Springer on the harm report with an ankle impingement. He has missed the previous 4 video games and is questionable for this recreation. His standing might be a recreation time resolution. Xavier Tillman needs to be obtainable for his first recreation as a Celtic after lacking the primary 4 video games after the commerce deadline deal that introduced him to Boston. .
For Chicago, Lonzo Ball hasn’t performed since Jan. 2021 and can miss the rest of the season with a knee harm. Zach LaVine is out for the rest of the season with a foot harm. Torrey Craig injured his knee whereas figuring out over the All-Star break and is out for this recreation. Patrick Williams hasn’t performed since Jan. 25 resulting from a left foot harm and can miss this recreation.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesOshae BrissettSam HauserAl HorfordLuke KornetSvi MykhailiukPayton PritchardJordan WalshXavier Tillman
2 Manner PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonNeemias Queta
Accidents/OutJaden Springer (ankle) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Bulls Starters
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Bulls Reserves Jevon CarterAlex CarusoJulian PhillipsTerry Taylor Dalen Terry
Two Manner Gamers Onuralp BitimHenri DrellAdama Sanogo
Accidents/Out Lonzo Ball (knee) out Zach LaVine (foot) outTorrey Craig (knee) out Patrick Williams (foot) out
Head Coach Billy Donovan
Key Matchups
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Jaylen Brown vs DeMar DeRozan DeRozan is enjoying very effectively, averaging 22.7 factors,4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 47.2% from the sphere and 33.3% from past the arc. Over his profession in opposition to Boston, DeRozan has averaged 21.2 factors, 3.7 rebounds and three.8 assists per recreation. He’s able to placing up huge numbers and the Celtics must discover a strategy to gradual him down. They particularly must cowl him within the mid vary.
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Jrue Vacation vs Coby WhiteWhite is averaging 19.6 factors, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 46.3% from the sphere and 39.7% from past the arc. Over his profession in opposition to Boston, he has averaged 8 factors, 4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. Within the first recreation this season, he completed with 19 factors, 1 rebound and three assists. He shot 58.3% from the sphere and 60.3% from past the arc. The Celtics must defend him particularly on the perimeter.
Honorable MentionJayson Tatum vs Nikola VucevicVucevic is averaging 17.5 factors, 10.6 rebounds, and three.4 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 47.1% from the sphere and 34.1% from past the arc. Within the first recreation this season, he completed with 8 factors, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and a couple of steals. He shot 36% from the sphere and didn’t hit a 3 pointer. The Celtics must defend him effectively as soon as once more.
Keys to the Sport Protection – Protection is all the time a key to successful. The Celtics are third within the league with a defensive score of 110.5. The Bulls are sixteenth with a defensive score of 115.0. The Celtics must get a powerful defensive effort from each participant on the courtroom and they should get again to make protection a precedence for all 48 minutes with no slacking off.
Rebound – The Celtics should field out and crash the boards. They’ll’t rating with out the ball and it’ll take additional effort on their half to beat the Bulls on the boards. The Celtics are averaging 47.3 rebounds per recreation, which is 1st within the league. The Bulls are averaging 43.5 rebounds per recreation, which is fifteenth. The Celtics should put out extra effort to get to the rebounds earlier than the Bulls and provides themselves additional possessions and restrict these possessions for the Bulls.
Take Care of the Ball – The Celtics nonetheless undergo durations the place they flip the ball over an excessive amount of and both enable their opponent to construct a lead or enable them to come back again from a deficit. They should give attention to making good passes and on not dribbling right into a crowd. It’s laborious to win a recreation whenever you give the opponent 20+ additional possessions by turning the ball over. The Bulls are 7yh within the league with 17.3 factors off turnovers a recreation and the Celtics should give attention to taking good care of the basketball to restrict these additional factors for the Bulls.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have to come back out and be aggressive proper from the opening tip. They should be aggressive on protection, driving to the basket, rebounding, diving for free balls and simply enjoying tougher on the whole. They should get off to a powerful begin and play laborious proper up till the ultimate buzzer. They’ll’t let the Bulls outwork them for any time period as a result of even one of the best group within the league can lose to the worst in the event that they don’t play with effort.
X-Components Highway Sport and Rust – The Celtics are enjoying on the street and may have the distractions of journey and a lodge keep and enjoying in entrance of hostile followers in an unfamiliar enviornment. Each groups are coming off of per week off from video games and whichever group can shake off the rust first may have the benefit.
Officiating – The officiating is all the time an x-factor. Typically a crew will name the sport tight and blow a whistle on each play. Different instances they are going to allow them to play and let the sport get bodily. The Celtics want to regulate to the way in which the sport is known as and never let missed calls or unhealthy calls have an effect on their focus. If the calls are unhealthy, they simply must play tougher to make up for them and never waste time arguing with the officers.
