The Celtics go from a staff preventing for playoff place to a staff preventing for lottery place as they host the Portland Trailblazers. That is the second and remaining recreation between these two groups this season. The Celtics gained the primary recreation 121-99 in Portland on March 11. The Celtics gained the collection 2-0 final season. They’re 74-49 general all time in opposition to Portland and they’re 39-22 in video games performed in Boston.
The Celtics stay in first place within the East and first place general within the league. They’re an unimaginable 14 video games forward of 2nd place Milwaukee, 15.5 video games forward of third place Cleveland, 16 video games forward of each 4th place Orlando and fifth place New York, and 17.5 video games forward of sixth place Indiana. They’re 34-3 at dwelling and 8-2 of their final 10 video games. They’re 22-7 in opposition to Western Convention groups. They’ve gained their final 4 video games.
The Path Blazers are 14th within the West, 2 video games forward of fifteenth place San Antonio. They’re 6 video games behind thirteenth place Memphis and 21 video games behind the Golden State Warriors, who’re within the remaining play-in spot. They’re 10-29 on the street and 2-8 of their final 10 video games. They’re 13-16 in opposition to Jap Convention opponents they usually have gained their final 2 video games, after dropping the earlier 10.
The Celtics are taking part in within the final recreation of a 3 recreation dwelling stand after a 6 recreation street journey. They went 4-2 on the journey, beating Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans and Charlotte and dropping 2 video games to Atlanta. They beat the Thunder 135-100 within the first recreation again at dwelling and edged out the Kings 101-100, with the reserves taking part in the whole 4th quarter in opposition to the Kings starters. Subsequent, they’ve one recreation on the street in Milwaukee earlier than ending the season at dwelling in opposition to New York, Charlotte and Washington.
The Portland Path Blazers are taking part in within the remaining recreation of a 7 recreation street journey. They misplaced the primary 4 video games of the street journey, dropping to Houston, Atlanta, Miami and Orlando earlier than getting out-tanked within the final two video games by Charlotte and Washington. After this recreation, they may play at dwelling in opposition to New Orleans, Golden State, and Houston earlier than ending the season on the street in opposition to the Kings.
Derrick White missed Friday’s recreation in opposition to Sacramento however isn’t on the harm record presently. Jaylen Brown stays on the record as questionable with a left hand sprain. He has missed 2 of the Celtics final 3 video games. Jayson Tatum was added to the harm report as questionable with a proper knee contusion. He has not missed a recreation since since March 22. Jaden Springer has missed has missed 5 video games with a knee harm and can be questionable.
All 3 are listed as a recreation time choice. I’m anticipating Jaylen to return and Jayson to sit down this recreation because the Celtics attempt to handle well being and conditioning. If Jayson sits, Al Horford ought to get the beginning. If Jaylen sits, Sam Hauser will seemingly get the beginning as soon as once more. However then once more, who is aware of presently of the season. There might also be different late additions to the record with varied bumps and bruises.
For Portland, former Celtic Malcolm Brogdon will miss his twenty ninth recreation with with proper elbow tendinitis. Toumani Camara is out with a rib harm. Shaedon Sharpe hasn’t performed since Jan. 11 after having stomach surgical procedure and is out for this recreation. Anfernee Simons will miss his eighth recreation with a knee harm. Matisse Thybulle will miss his 4th recreation with an ankle harm. Former Celtic Robert Williams is out for the season with a torn ligament in his proper kne.e. Jerami Grant is uncertain with a hamstring harm.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesOshae BrissettSvi MykhailiukLuke KornetPayton PritchardJordan WalshXavier TillmanSam Hauser
2 Approach PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonNeemias Queta
Accidents/OutJaylen Brown (hand) questionableJayson Tatum (knee) questionableJaden Springer (knee) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Path Blazers Starters
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Path Blazers ReservesDelano BantonMoses BrownDuop Reath
Two-Approach PlayersIbou BadjiAshton Hagans Justin Minaya
Accidents/Out Ibou Badji (again) questionableMalcolm Brogdon (elbow) out Toumani Camara (ribs) outJerami Grant (hamstring) doubtfulShaedon Sharpe (stomach) out Anfernee Simons (knee) out Matisse Thybulle (ankle) out Robert Williams III (knee) out
Head Coach Chauncey Billups
Key Matchups
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Kristaps Porzingis vs Deandre AytonAyton is averaging 16.4 factors, 11.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steal per recreation. He’s capturing 57.6% from the sphere and 20% on 3 pointers. Within the first recreation in opposition to the Celtics, he completed with 22 factors, 15 rebounds, and 1 help. He shot 57.9% from the sphere however didn’t take a 3. The Celtics must hold him out of the paint and off the boards.
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Jrue Vacation vs Scoot HendersonHenderson is averaging 13.6 factors, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 38.7% from the sphere and 31.4% from past the arc. Within the first recreation in opposition to the Celtics he completed with 13 factors, 6 rebounds, and eight assists whereas capturing 41.7% from the sphere and 38.8% from past the arc.
Honorable Point out Payton Pritchard vs Delano Banton Pritchard has been the Celtics spark plug off the bench and likewise, that’s what former Celtic, Delano Banton, has develop into for the Path Blazers. Banton is averaging 9.4 factors, 3.2 rebounds and a couple of.1 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 41.5% from the sphere and 33.1% on 3’s for the season. In his final 5 video games, he’s averaging 20.4 factors, 5.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals per recreation. I’m positive he’s going to attempt to present his former staff what they’re lacking out on.
Keys to the GameDefense – I do know I say it each recreation, however protection is the important thing to successful each recreation and would be the key to successful a championship. The Blazers common 106.9 factors and the Celtics common 120.8 factors per recreation. The Celtics are 2nd within the league with a defensive score of 110.5 whereas the Blazers are twenty third with a defensive score of 116.6. The Celtics must hold making robust protection their precedence and identification. They need to make protection their identification constantly in each minute of each recreation, particularly as they get nearer to the playoffs.
Rebound – As Pat Riley as soon as acknowledged, “No rebounds, no rings.” The Celtics are 2nd with 46.5 rebounds per recreation whereas the Path Blazers are twenty fifth with 42.3 rebounds per recreation. The Celtics should make an additional effort to seize rebounds as a way to give themselves further possessions in addition to to maintain the Blazers from scoring second likelihood factors, because the Path Blazers are fifth with 15.7 second likelihood factors per recreation. The Celtics have to be the staff that works more durable on the boards in the event that they need to win this one. A lot of rebounding is effort and want and the Celtics want each to get a win on this recreation.
Al Scoring 8+ Factors – Okay, this can be a little on the market, however the Celtics have gained 22 straight video games when Al Horford scores 8 or extra factors. Possibly it’s as a result of they transfer the ball extra and that offers Al extra possessions to attain on, or perhaps it’s only a coincidence, nevertheless it bodes effectively for the Celtics when Al will get concerned within the offense and scores 8 or extra factors.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics need to be the staff that works more durable and needs the win extra. They need to dive for unfastened balls, go for each rebound and simply hustle on each play on each ends of the courtroom. They need to be aggressive in attending to the basket as effectively and never accept outdoors photographs, particularly in the event that they aren’t falling. Whether or not it’s the starters or reserves, they should go all out with most effort.
X-Components Dwelling vs Finish of the Highway – The Celtics are as soon as once more at dwelling. They need to get a lift from taking part in at dwelling in entrance of their dwelling crowd. The Blazers are simply 10-29 on the street and so the Celtics want to remain targeted and never give them any confidence or assist them by turning the ball over or capturing poorly. The Path Blazers are taking part in within the remaining recreation of a 7 recreation street journey and that’s normally one of many hardest video games to win because the staff is drained and able to be dwelling already.
Officiating – I do know that I say this each recreation, however the officiating actually is all the time an x-factor in each recreation. Each crew calls the sport otherwise whether or not they name each little ticky tack foul or they let plenty of contact go and let the groups play. Some refs favor the house staff and a few not a lot and generally they only make a bunch of head scratching calls. The Celtics have gotten to regulate to the way in which the sport is being known as and never let themselves get annoyed by the officiating.
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