The Celtics host the Denver Nuggets of their second straight house recreation. That is the primary of two video games between these two groups this season. They may play yet one more time on March 7 in Denver, the place the Nuggets have a really distinctive mile excessive house courtroom benefit. They had been 1-1 final season with every workforce profitable on their house courtroom. The Celtics are 58-38 general all time towards the Nuggets and they’re 38-9 in video games performed in Boston.
The Celtics stay first within the East. They’re 4 video games forward of 2nd place Milwaukee, 5 video games forward of third place Philadelphia, 7 video games forward of 4th place Cleveland and eight video games forward of fifth place New York and sixth place Miami. They’re 20-0 at house and 7-3 of their final 10 video games. They’re 9-3 towards Western Convention opponents. They’ve received their final 3 video games.
The Nuggets are third within the West. They’re 2 video games behind first place Minnesota and tied with 2nd place Oklahoma Metropolis, who personal the tie breaker. They’re 1 recreation forward of the 4th place Clippers, 3 video games forward of fifth place New Orleans, and 4 video games forward of sixth place Sacramento. They’re 11-10 on the street and 6-4 of their final 10 video games. They’re 11-4 towards Japanese Convention groups. They’re coming off a loss of their final recreation.
The Celtics are enjoying of their 2nd straight house recreation, after alternating house and street video games over their earlier 5 video games. They may begin a 3 recreation street journey on Sunday that can take them via Houston and Dallas again to again after which into Miami. They may then return house for a 7 recreation house stand the place they are going to host the Clippers, Pelicans, Pacers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Hawks, and Washington.
The Nuggets are enjoying within the 2nd recreation of a 5 recreation street journey. They began the journey with a loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia. After this recreation towards the Celtics, they are going to ply in Washington, Indiana and New York to complete out the street journey. They may then head house to play Philadelphia after which Milwaukee earlier than heading out on the street as soon as once more.
Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis missed Wednesday’s recreation however presently, there isn’t a one on the Celtics damage report. For the Nuggets, Vlatko Cancar is out for the season after tearing his ACL whereas enjoying for the Slovenian Nationwide workforce within the off season. Julian Strawther will miss his seventh recreation with a proper knee contusion. Aaron Gordon is listed as possible with shoulder soreness.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesDelano BantonOshae BrissettSam HauserAl HorfordLuke KornetSvi MykhailiukPayton PritchardLamar StevensJordan Walsh
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonNeemias Queta
Accidents/OutNone
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Nuggets Starters
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Nuggets Reserves Christian Braun Justin HolidayReggie Jackson DeAndre JordanZeke Nnaji Jalen PickettHunter TysonPeyton Watson
2 Means PlayersCollin Gillespie Jay HuffBraxton Key
Out/Accidents Vlatko Cancar (knee) outJulian Strawther (knee) out Aaron Gordon (shoulder) possible
Head Coach Michael Malone
Key Matchups
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Kristaps Porzingis vs Nikola JokicJokic is has received again to again MVP’s and is within the dialog for MVP each season for a purpose. He’s averaging 25.5 factors, 11.9 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 58.1% from the sphere and 34.5% from past the arc. He’s a handful and the Celtics have to attempt to sluggish him down by any means crucial.
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Jrue Vacation vs Jamal MurrayMurray is averaging 20.5 factors, 3.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists. He’s taking pictures 47.7% from the sphere and 41.0% from past the arc. The Celtics will want Jrue Vacation to proceed to play effectively on each ends of the courtroom and they should defend Murray very effectively as he can put up factors in a rush.
Honorable Point out Jaylen Brown vs Michael Porter, JrPorter is averaging 16.4 factors, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. He’s taking pictures 48.2% from the sphere and 40.6% from past the arc. Brown has been enjoying very effectively on each ends of the courtroom and the Celtics are going to want him to proceed that on this recreation to present themselves an opportunity to win. Porter is an excellent 3 level shooter and they also have to stick with him on the perimeter.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is the important thing to profitable each recreation. The Celtics are 2nd with a defensive ranking of 110.4 The Nuggets have a defensive ranking of 112.0, which is twentieth. The Celtics common 118.7 factors per recreation (2nd), whereas the Nuggets common 113.5 factors per recreation (twelfth). The Celtics have to proceed to make protection a precedence, particularly towards the Nuggets, who’re taking pictures 49.9% from the sphere as a workforce (4th) and 37.9% from past the arc (ninth) as a workforce.
Rebound – Rebounding is one other key to profitable each recreation. The Celtics are 1st within the league, averaging 47.5 rebounds per recreation. The Nuggets are thirteenth within the league with 43.8 rebounds per recreation. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics need to work more durable to seize rebounds to restrict the Nuggets second likelihood factors and quick breaks. The Celtics can’t enable the Nuggets to outwork them on the boards.
Effort and Vitality for 48 Minutes – The Celtics should be the extra aggressive workforce. They need to combat for free balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and simply play more durable than the Nuggets for the complete recreation. They need to be the workforce that desires it extra and play prefer it. They particularly have to start the sport with vitality and never enable the Nuggets to race out to a giant lead and so they can’t let up all through the sport. They particularly have to return out sturdy within the third quarter and play laborious till the ultimate buzzer. .
Transfer the Ball Fastidiously – The Celtics have to preserve shifting the ball to search out the open man and make it a lot more durable to protect them. Nonetheless, they need to watch out with their passes and never flip the ball over because the Nuggets common 16.1 factors per recreation off turnovers. The Celtics additionally must be cautious once they dribble the ball and never drive right into a crowd and switch the ball over.
X-Elements Residence Recreation – The Celtics are as soon as once more house and they need to get a lift from the house crowd. That is their second straight house recreation in order that they benefit from not having to journey additionally. The Nuggets are enjoying within the 2nd recreation of a 5 recreation street journey and could also be getting street weary, though they’ve had 2 days off since their final recreation. In addition they have the distactions of journey, staying in accommodations, and enjoying in entrance of a hostile crowd. And, they’re enjoying with out the assistance of their mile excessive environment.
Officiating – I do know that I say this each recreation, however the officiating can all the time be an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport otherwise whether or not they name each little ticky tack foul or they let quite a lot of contact go and let the groups play. The refs appear to be fast to name techs and various odd infractions this season. Now we have already seen video games the place the officiating made a distinction within the end result, each good and dangerous. The Celtics have gotten to regulate to the best way the sport is being known as and never let the calls have an effect on their focus or their play.
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