The Celtics search for their eighth straight win as they go to the New York Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard. That is the 4th of 5 video games between these two groups this season. The Celtics are 3-0 to this point, profitable 108-104 in New York on 10/25, 114-98 in Boston on 11/13, and 133-123 in Boston on 12/18. They’ve yet another recreation after this one on April 11.
The Celtics stay first within the East, 7.5 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, 11 video games forward of fifth place Philadelphia, and 12.5 video games forward of sixth place Indiana. They’re 18-9 on the street and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 31-6 in opposition to Japanese Convention groups and 13-1 in opposition to Atlantic Division groups. They’ve gained their final 7 video games. (Milwaukee continues to be enjoying as I write this).
The Knicks are 4th within the East, 10 video games behind 1st place Boston, 2.5 video games behind 2nd place Cleveland, and 1.5 recreation behind third place Milwaukee. They’re 1 video games forward of fifth place Philadelphia, 2.5 video games forward of sixth place Indiana and three video games forward of seventh place Orlando and having to compete within the play in video games. They’re 19-8 at hom and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 23-12 in opposition to the Japanese Convention and 7-3 in opposition to the Atlantic Division. They’re coming off a win of their final recreation.
The Celtics are enjoying of their second straight recreation on the street. They beat the Bulls at Chicago 129-112 on Thursday. After this recreation, they are going to head house for 3 straight video games at TD Backyard in opposition to Philadelphia, Dallas, and Golden State. After that, they’ve a 5 recreation street journey by means of Cleveland, Denver, Phoenix, Portland and Utah.
The Knicks are coming off a 1-2 street journey and are enjoying within the first of a 4 recreation house stand. After this recreation, they are going to play Detroit and New Orleans again to again on Monday and Tuesday after which Golden State. Subsequent they play at Cleveland earlier than returning house for 4 extra, internet hosting Atlanta, Orlando and a couple of video games in opposition to Philadelphia.
The Celtics have nobody on the damage record presently. For the Knicks, OG Anunoby is out after having proper elbow surgical procedure on February 8. Mitchell Robinson has missed the Knicks’ final 34 video games after present process left ankle surgical procedure and can miss this recreation as properly. Julius Randle has been out since he injured his shoulder Jan. 27 and might be out for this recreation as properly.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesOshae BrissettSam HauserAl HorfordLuke KornetSvi MykhailiukPayton PritchardJordan WalshXavier TillmanJaden Springer
2 Manner Gamers JD Davison Drew PetersonNeemias Queta
Accidents/OutNone
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Knicks Starters
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Knicks Reserves Miles McBride Alec BurksDaquan JeffriesBojan BogdanovicJericho SimsJacob Toppin
2 Manner Gamers Duane Washington, JrCharlie Brown, Jr
Accidents/Out OG Anunoby (elbow) out Mitchell Robinson (ankle) outJulius Randle (shoulder) out Miles McBride (sickness) questionable
Head Coach Tom Thibodeau
Key Matchups
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Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs
Jalen Brunson
Photograph by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE through Getty Photographs
Jrue Vacation vs Jalen BrunsonBrunson is averaging 27.5 factors, 3.8 rebound, and 6.6 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 47.9% from the sphere and 40.6% from past the arc. Towards the Celtics this season he averaged 21.3 factors, 2.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals. He shoots a excessive proportion from 3 and so the Celtics should defend him properly on the perimeter.
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Sam Hauser
Photograph by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Photographs
Bojan Bogdanovic
Photograph by Mike Mulholland/Getty Photographs
Sam Hauser vs Bojan BogdanovicThe Knicks introduced Bojan Bogdanovic over from Detroit on the deadline and he’ll add one other sharpshooter to their staff. He’s averaging 19.8 factors, 3.3 rebounds, and a couple of.3 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 47.1% from the sphere and 42.4% from past the arc for the season. Towards the Celtics this season, he’s averaging 17 factors, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists per recreation. He’ll probably come off the bench for the Knicks and so the Celtics will want their second unit to maintain him off the three level line and off the boards.
Honorable Point out Derrick White vs Donte DiVincenzoDiVincenzo is averaging 13.7 factors, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He’s capturing 45.6% from the sphere and 41.4% from past the arc. He has struggled in opposition to the Celtics this season averaging solely 3.7 factors, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per recreation whereas capturing simply 25% from the sphere and 25% from past the arc.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is the important thing to profitable each recreation. The Knicks common 114.4 factors per recreation (seventeenth) whereas the Celtics common 120.8 factors per recreation (fifth). The Celtics have a defensive ranking of 110.6 (2nd) whereas the Knicks have a defensive ranking of 112.8 (seventh). Each groups wish to be defensive minded however each groups overlook their defensive id sometimes. The Celtics have gotten to make protection a precedence and play harder staff protection than the Knicks in the event that they hope to get a win on this recreation.
Rebound – The Celtics can’t rating in the event that they don’t have the ball, and one of the simplest ways to get the ball is to seize rebounds. The Celtics must rebound as a staff with each Celtic battling on the boards. It would take a staff effort to beat the Knicks, who’re 4th within the league in rebounding with 45.8 per recreation. The Celtics are 1st with 47.1 rebounds per recreation however are likely to get lazy in opposition to bodily groups that struggle for rebounds. The Knicks are tied for first with 16.6 second likelihood factors per recreation and so the Celtics must crash the boards to forestall giving the Knicks further factors on this recreation.
Transfer the Ball Rigorously – The Celtics want to maneuver the ball and discover teammates for the most effective photographs accessible. They play their greatest when the ball is transferring and they’re discovering the open man. They wrestle when the ball sticks and gamers attempt to do an excessive amount of and play iso ball. Nevertheless, they should make cautious passes as a result of the Knicks common 16.5 factors off turnovers per recreation and if the Celtics get sloppy, they are going to make them pay.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have to be the extra aggressive staff. They should be extra aggressive in going after free balls, in grabbing rebounds, in defending, and in going to the basket. They should hustle and be aggressive for 48 minutes each recreation however particularly in opposition to the Knicks as a result of Thibs has them enjoying exhausting each recreation. They will win a whole lot of video games by enjoying tougher than their opponents they usually can lose a whole lot of video games by permitting their opponents to be the staff that performs tougher.
Play All Out 48 Minutes – The Knicks are enjoying with out key gamers and too typically the Celtics play with lower than 100% effort when going through a staff weakened by accidents. They did that in opposition to the Lakers with 2 stars out they usually misplaced a recreation they need to have gained. They will’t afford to try this in the event that they wish to win this recreation. They should play exhausting from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer and never enable the Knicks to out-work them for any stretch through the recreation.
X-Components On the Highway Once more – The Celtics are enjoying their 2nd straight recreation on the street. They should overcome the distractions of enjoying on the street and in entrance of a hostile crowd and keep targeted on enjoying the suitable manner. Even in simply their 2nd straight street recreation, groups can get street weary and the Celtics should struggle in opposition to that by staying targeted on enjoying exhausting and getting a win.
Officiating – Officiating all the time has the potential to be an x-factor. Every officiating crew calls the sport otherwise. Some refs name it tight and always name fouls whereas others allow them to play with few fouls referred to as. The Celtics want to regulate to how the refs are calling the sport and never enable unhealthy calls or no calls to remove their focus.
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