After a historic 6-0 street journey, the Celtics return dwelling to tackle the Miami Warmth. That is the 4th, and last, recreation between these two groups this season. The Celtics gained all 3 of the video games between them thus far this season. The Celtics are 86-53 total, all time in opposition to the Warmth and they’re 44-23 in video games performed in Boston.
The Celtics stay 2nd within the East. They’re 4 video games behind 1st place Cleveland, who’re have misplaced their final 5 video games. They’re 8.5 video games forward of third place New York and 12 video games forward of 4th place Milwaukee. They’re 24-12 at dwelling and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 35-11 in opposition to Jap Convention groups. They’ve gained their final 9 video games.
The Warmth are ninth within the East, 26 video games behind first place Cleveland. They’re 1.5 video games behind eighth place Orlando and 6.5 video games behind sixth place Milwaukee. They’re 1 recreation forward of tenth place Chicago and 6 video games forward of eleventh place Toronto. They’re 15-22 on the street and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 22-26 in opposition to Jap Convention opponents and have gained their final 5 video games.
The Celtics simply accomplished the primary 6-0 street journey in Celtics historical past. After this recreation in opposition to the Warmth, the Celtics will play Phoenix at dwelling on Friday. Then it’s again on the street for again to again video games at New York and at Orlando. They’ll end the season with 2 video games in opposition to the Charlotte Hornets at dwelling.
The Warmth are taking part in within the third recreation of a 3 recreation street journey. They beat Philadelphia and Washington within the first two video games on the journey. They then play 3 video games at dwelling, internet hosting Memphis, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia. They’ll then play at Chicago and at New Orleans earlier than ending the season at dwelling in opposition to Washington.
The Celtics have 3 gamers questionable and 1 participant uncertain for this recreation. After main the Celtics to the win over Memphis, Al Horford is uncertain for this recreation with the ever bothersome sprained toe. Jrue Vacation is questionable with a proper shoulder damage. Kristaps Porzingis is questionable as a result of return-from-illness reconditioning. Jaylen Brown is questionable as a result of proper knee posterior impingement. All are listed as a recreation time determination.
I’ve included the questionable gamers within the beginning lineup. I don’t have a clue who would begin if any, or all of them, are unable to play. Jaylen Brown must play in 6 of the final 7 video games or he is not going to be eligible for any publish season awards so he could decide to play in restricted minutes reasonably than sit the sport out.
The Warmth have 5 gamers listed as out on their damage report. Nikola Jovic hasn’t performed since Feb. 23 as a result of a fractured metacarpal on his proper hand and is out for this recreation. Duncan Robinson will miss a fifth straight recreation with a again difficulty. Andrew Wiggins will miss his third recreation as a result of proper hamstring tendinopathy. Kevin Love will miss his 4th recreation for private causes. Dru Smith is out as a result of torn Achilles.
Possible Celtics Starters
Grid View
Celtics ReservesPayton PritchardLuke KornetNeemias QuetaXavier Tillman, SrJordan WalshBaylor ScheiermanSam Hauser Torrey Craig
2 Approach PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonMiles Norris
Accidents/OutJaylen Brown (knee) questionable Kristaps Porzingis (relaxation) questionable Jrue Vacation (shoulder) questionableAl Horford (toe) uncertain
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Warmth Starters
Grid View
Warmth ReservesKyle AndersonHaywood HighsmithJaime Jaquez, JrKeshad JohnsonDavion MitchellTerry Rozier III
Two Approach PlayersJosh ChristopherIsaiah StevensDru Smith
Accidents/OutNikola Jovic (hand) out Kevin Love (private) out Andrew Wiggins (hamstring) outDru Smith (Achilles) outDuncan Robinson (again) out
Head Coach Erik Spoelstra
Key Matchups
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Jrue Vacation
Picture by Justin Ford/Getty Photos
Tyler Herro
Picture by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Photos
Jrue Vacation vs Tyler Herro Herro is the Warmth’s main scorer this season. He’s averaging 23.7 factors, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 46.9% from the sphere and 37.2% from past the arc. In 2 video games in opposition to the Celtics this season, he averaged 19 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists whereas capturing simply 38.2% from the sphere and 27.8% from past the arc. The Celtics have to defend him each on the perimeter and within the paint. Jrue could or could not play on this one.
Grid View
Jayson Tatum
Picture by Justin Ford/Getty Photos
Bam Adebayo
Picture by Michael Reaves/Getty Photos
Jayson Tatum vs Bam AdebayoAdebayo is averaging 17.7 factors, 9.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per recreation. He’s capturing 48.5% from the sphere and 33.3% from past the arc. Within the first 3 video games in opposition to the Celtics, he averaged 15.3 factors, 9.7 rebounds, and three.7 assists whereas capturing 35.7% from the sphere and 20% from past the arc. He’s a menace to attain within the paint and seize rebounds and so the Celtics have to field him out and defend him effectively across the basket.
Honorable MentionKristaps Porzingis vs Kel’el WareWare is averaging 9 factors, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per recreation. He’s capturing 56.2% from the sphere and 31.7% from past the arc. In 2 video games in opposition to Boston this season, he averaged 7.5 factors, 5 rebounds, 1 help and 1 block per recreation whereas capturing 43.8% from the sphere and no threes. Porzingis is questionable for this recreation and with Horford uncertain, we might even see Queta or Kornet to begin.
Keys to the Sport Protection – Protection will at all times be the most important key to profitable each single recreation. The Celtics are fifth with a defensive score of 110.2. The Warmth are ninth with a defensive score of 112.0. The Celtics have to defend the perimeter particularly for the reason that Warmth try 37.4 threes a recreation and shoot threes simply barely worse than the Celtics at 36.5%. The Celtics have to work laborious on protection and make that their precedence.
Rebound – Together with protection, rebounding is at all times a key to profitable. As Pat Riley as soon as stated “No rebounds, no rings.” The Celtics common 45.1 rebounds per recreation (tenth) whereas the Warmth common 43.1 rebounds per recreation (twenty second). The Celtics are 32-6 after they out-rebound opponents. It takes effort and hustle to get rebounds and the Celtics want to offer extra effort and hustle than the Warmth to seize rebounds in the event that they need to win this recreation.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are robust to beat after they hold the ball transferring and discover the open man however when one participant over dribbles and lapses into hero ball, they falter. The Celtics are 41-2 after they have extra assists than their opponent. Hold the ball transferring and don’t lapse into iso ball, whether or not within the first quarter or the 4th quarter. Hero ball not often ends effectively.
Subsequent Man Up – With 4 gamers questionable for this recreation and one participant uncertain, the Celtics will want each participant to step up their recreation and contribute on each ends of the courtroom. They want the starters to return out robust and get off to an excellent begin. The reserves want to return in and sustain the power and hit their photographs and most significantly, each participant should play lock down protection and in addition crash the boards.
X-Elements House Sport and Fatigue – The Celtics are simply coming off a 6 recreation street journey and the primary recreation at house is at all times a tricky one. The Warmth will likely be taking part in in entrance of a hostile crowd and in an unfamiliar area whereas the Celtics may have the gang behind them to offer them motivation. The Warmth have 5 gamers out and so fatigue could come into play down the stretch for each groups.
Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor in each recreation. Each crew officiates otherwise. Some name it tight, others allow them to play. The Celtics want to regulate to how the refs are calling the sport and never enable dangerous calls or no calls to remove their focus from taking part in the sport. The extra aggressive workforce will normally get the good thing about the calls and so the Celtics have to be the extra aggressive workforce.
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