The Celtics host the Memphis Grizzlies for the primary of two video games between them this season. They are going to play once more in Memphis on March 31. The Celtics had been 2-0 final season towards the Grizzlies. They’re 37-19 general all time towards the Grizzlies and they’re 19-9 all time in video games performed in Boston. That is the second of again to again video games for the Celtics. They’re 4-0 to this point on the second evening of again to again video games.
The Celtics are 2nd within the East, 1 recreation behind the primary place Cavaliers. They’re 10-2 at house and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 2-1 towards Western Convention groups. They’ve received their final 3 video games. The Grizzlies are 4th within the West, 2.5 video games out of first place. They’re 4-5 on the street and 8-2 of their final 10 video games. They’re 8-3 towards Japanese Convention groups and are in search of their 2nd straight win.
Marcus Good spent 9 years with the Celtics and have become the guts and soul of the workforce. He was included within the commerce that introduced Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, which broke my coronary heart and that of many different Celtics followers. It was thought that he was going to a contender within the West, however final season that they had accidents and setbacks the entire season. Good was out once they performed in Boston final season. Hopefully he’ll be capable of play on this one.
Key gamers had been out all season they usually not often had an damage checklist under 7 gamers. Bane performed 42 video games, Clarke performed 6 video games, Good performed 20 video games and Morant performed 9 video games final season. This 12 months, they’ve been more healthy and their being 4th within the West displays that. They didn’t make many modifications within the off season, anticipating that getting gamers again from damage can be sufficient to place them in contender standing.
The Celtics are enjoying within the 4th recreation of a 5 recreation house stand. The Celtics beat the Warmth, the Pistons and the Bucks within the first 3 video games and can host Detroit arising following this one. The Detroit recreation was added, together with a recreation at Washington on the fifteenth after the Celtics did not advance within the Emirates Cup match. After the Wizards, the Celtics will face the Bulls in a house and residential sequence earlier than enjoying at Orlando.
The Grizzlies are enjoying within the first of two consecutive street video games. The 2nd recreation shall be again to again at Washington on Sunday. They are going to then play at house vs Brooklyn and on the street vs the Lakers. Then, it’s again house towards the Warriors and again on the street at Atlanta adopted by 2 video games at house towards the Lakers and Raptors earlier than a 5 recreation street journey by way of New Orleans, OKC, Phoenix, Sacramento and Golden State.
For the reason that Celtics are enjoying again to again, Al Horford will doubtless sit this one out since he performed on Friday towards the Bucks. Porzingis sat out Friday’s recreation and off the damage checklist for this recreation. Derrick White is a late addition to the damage checklist with a foot sprain. He’s listed as possible and can doubtless play.
The Grizzlies have 4 gamers out and a pair of extra gamers questionable. Zach Edey (ankle), GG Jackson (foot), Luke Kennard (sickness) and Vince Williams, Jr (ankle) are all out for this recreation. Former Celtic Marcus Good (ankle) is questionable however was seen going by way of shoot round and it seems to be like he plans to play. Desmond Bane was a late addition to the damage report with a toe damage as questionable and shall be a recreation time determination.
Possible Celtics Starters
Grid View
Celtics ReservesLuke KornetPayton PritchardNeemias QuetaBaylor ScheiermanJaden SpringerXavier Tillman, SrJordan WalshSam Hauser
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Accidents/OutAl Horford (toe) outKristaps Porzingis (ankle) availableDerrick White (foot) possible
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Grizzlies Starters
Grid View
Grizzlies Reserves Santi AldamaJay HuffJohn KoncharJake LaRaviaScotty Pippen, Jr
Two-Means Gamers Colin CastletonYuki KawamuraCam Spencer
Accidents/Out Zach Edey (ankle) out GG Jackson II (foot) out Luke Kennard (sickness) out Vince Williams, Jr (ankle) out Marcus Good (ankle) questionable Desmond Bane (toe) questionable
Head Coach Taylor Jenkins
Key Matchups
Grid View
Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Jason Miller/Getty Pictures
Ja Morant
Photograph by Justin Ford/Getty Pictures
Jrue Vacation vs Ja MorantMorant is averaging 20.9 factors, 4.1 rebounds, and eight.6 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 44.8% from the sphere and 26.3% from past the arc. Morant could be very athletic and fast and so he can provide the Celtics issues. They want to stick with him on protection to attempt to gradual him down.
Grid View
Jayson Tatum
Photograph by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Pictures
Jaren Jackson, Jr
Photograph by Meg Oliphant/Getty Pictures
Jayson Tatum vs Jaren Jackson, Jr.Jackson is averaging 21.7 factors, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 51.3% from the sphere and 33.3% from past the arc. Jackson is enjoying very nicely this season and is an actual menace to attain. He’s additionally an excellent defender and can make it tough for whoever he’s guarding to attain.
Honorable point out Derrick White vs Desmond Bane Bane is averaging 14.3 factors, 6.1 rebounds, and three.9 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 43.5% from the sphere and 31.9% from past the arc. Bane is an effective rebounder and so White must step up and problem him on the boards.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is at all times a key to successful. The Celtics have slipped to tenth with a defensive score of 110.5. The Grizzlies are seventh with a defensive score of 108.6. The Grizzlies are 2nd in scoring with 121.1 factors per recreation whereas the Celtics are third with 120.5 factors per recreation. The Celtics are 1st in 3 level makes an attempt with 50.1 and eighth in 3 level share at 37.6%. The Grizzlies are 14th with 37.3 three level makes an attempt per recreation and seventeenth in 3 level share at 34.8%. The Celtics should particularly do a greater job of guarding the paint because the Grizzlies are fifth averaging 58.6 factors within the paint. The Celtics protection has been up and down this season. They have to play lock down protection for 48 minutes towards the Grizzlies.
Rebound – The Celtics can’t rating in the event that they don’t have the ball and to get the ball, they should seize rebounds. The Celtics are 14th within the league, grabbing 43.9 rebounds per recreation whereas the Grizzlies are third, with 47.5 rebounds per recreation. A lot of rebounding is effort and hustle and the Celtics have to put out extra effort than the Grizzlies to be able to beat them to rebounds.
Play Laborious for 48 Minutes – The distinction within the Celtics wins and losses on this 12 months has been the quantity of effort they provide on each ends of the courtroom. The Celtics should be extra aggressive in going for unfastened balls, rebounds, in going to the basket and on protection. They should decide to giving full effort from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer. Hopefully they’ve realized from their losses and received’t slack off on effort for even a minute on this recreation. They should take cost of the sport from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer. The Celtics should be the more durable workforce each bodily and mentally.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are robust to beat once they preserve the ball transferring and discover the open man however when one participant over dribbles and lapses into hero ball, they falter. On the finish of the Cavs recreation, in two consecutive essential possessions, Jayson Tatum dribbled your entire shot clock with out one cross and missed contested layups on each possessions. He must proceed to do what makes the Celtics profitable and preserve the ball transferring. Everybody knew that he wasn’t going to cross the ball and so as an alternative of an open shot, he dribbled right into a crowd of Cavaliers. Maintain the ball transferring and don’t lapse into hero ball, whether or not within the first quarter or the 4th quarter. Hero ball not often works
X-Components Residence Recreation and Fatigue – The Celtics are house for his or her 4th straight recreation. They should get motivation from the group and play their greatest to guard house courtroom. The Grizzlies have to beat the distractions of enjoying on the street together with journey fatigue, staying in lodges, enjoying in entrance of hostile followers and in an unfamiliar enviornment and the Celtics have to make the most of that. The Celtics are enjoying on the second evening of again to again video games and fatigue could possibly be an element down the stretch.
Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Some officers name the sport tight and name each little little bit of contact. Others allow them to play and permit each groups to be bodily. Some refs name it one sided for one workforce whereas others name it even. The Celtics have to focus on enjoying their recreation and never enable unhealthy calls and no calls to remove from their deal with enjoying the fitting means.
And ensure to take a look at CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a dwell dialog concerning the recreation. To take part, simply create a free account, join your LP sub if in case you have it, and be a part of our neighborhood.
