The Celtics proceed their street journey with a cease in Atlanta to tackle the Hawks. That is the third recreation of 4 video games between these two groups this season. The Celtics received the primary two video games this season towards Atlanta – 113-103 on Nov. 26 and 125-117 on Feb. 7, each video games have been performed in Boston. They’ll meet for the ultimate time on March 28. in Atlanta. The Celtics may have 2 days off earlier than their subsequent assembly whereas the Hawks will play Portland on Wednesday and the Celtics on Thursday.
The Celtics received the collection 3-0 final season and so they have received the final 7 video games towards the Hawks and the final 2 video games in Atlanta. The Celtics are 244 -147 general all time towards the Hawks and they’re 112-93 in video games performed in Atlanta. The Celtics have a seven-game profitable streak towards the Hawks and have received the previous two video games performed in Atlanta.
The Celtics stay 1st within the East, 11 video games forward of 2nd place Milwaukee, 14 video games forward of third place Cleveland, 14.5 video games forward of 4th place New York, 15 video games forward of fifth place Orlando, and 17 video games forward of sixth place Indiana. They’re 25-11 on the street and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 38-7 towards Japanese Convention groups and have received their final 9 video games.
The Hawks are tenth within the East and are within the last play-in spot. They’re 7 video games behind eighth place Miami, 7.5 video games behind seventh place Philadelphia and a pair of.5 video games behind ninth place Chicago. They’re 5.5 video games forward of eleventh place Brooklyn and falling out of play-in competition. The Hawks are 17-17at dwelling and 5-5 within the final 10 video games. They’re 18-26 towards Japanese Convention groups and received their final recreation.
The Celtics are taking part in within the third recreation of a 6 recreation street journey by way of They beat Detroit and Chicago within the first 2 video games. They’ve another recreation in Atlanta after this one after which will play New Orleans and Charlotte earlier than returning dwelling for 3 video games towards Oklahoma Metropolis, Sacramento, and Portland. Then it’s one recreation in Milwaukee earlier than ending the season at dwelling towards New York, Charlotte and Washington.
The Hawks are taking part in within the second recreation of a 5 recreation dwelling stand. They beat Charlotte by 41 factors within the first recreation of the house stand and can play Portland on Wednesday and the Celtics as soon as once more on Thursday and can shut out the house stand towards the Bucks. Then, it’s one recreation at Chicago and residential once more vs Detroit earlier than occurring the street once more to Dallas and Denver. Then it’s again dwelling vs Miami and Charlotte and they’re going to end the season on the street towards Minnesota and Indiana.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis are all off the harm report at the moment. Derrick White has been added to the report with a a proper hand sprain. He’s questionable and shall be a recreation time choice, though I count on him to get the sport off since he performed within the final 2 video games when different starters rested. Xavier Tillman can be questionable with knee swelling. Jrue Vacation stays out with a shoulder contusion. I’m guessing that White will sit and Hauser and Pritchard will get the beginning.
The Hawks have 8 gamers on the harm report at the moment. Saddiq Bey (knee), Kobe Bufkin (toe), AJ Griffin (ankle), Mouhamed Gueye (elbow), Jalen Johnson (ankle), Onyeka Okongwu (toe) and Trae Younger (finger) are all out. Two Means participant Seth Lundy can be out with a again harm. I’ve included the beginning 5 that’s listed of their recreation notes for this recreation.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesOshae BrissettLuke KornetSvi MykhailiukAl HorfordJordan WalshXavier TillmanJaden Springer
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonNeemias Queta
Accidents/OutDerrick White (hand) questionableXavier Tillman (knee) questionable Jrue Vacation (shoulder) out
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Hawks Starters
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Hawks Reserves Bruno Fernando Trent ForrestGarrison Mathews Wesley Matthews
2 Means Gamers Vit KrejciSeth LundyDylan Windler
Accidents/Out Saddiq Bey (knee) out Kobe Bufkin (toe) out AJ Griffin (ankle) out Mouhamed Gueye (elbow) out Jalen Johnson (ankle) out Seth Lundy (again) out Onyeka Okongwu (toe) out Trae Younger (finger) out
Head Coach Quin Snyder
Key Matchups
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Payton Pritchard
Photograph by Chris Schwegler/NBAE through Getty Photos
Dejounte Murray
Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photos
Payton Pritchard vs Dejounte Murray Murray is averaging 22.3 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 46.5% from the sector and 36.8% from past the arc. Murray can be one of many Hawks greatest defenders. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, he completed with 6 factors, 4 rebounds and three assists. He shot simply 15.4% from the sector and didn’t shoot a 3. He didn’t play within the second assembly between these two groups. The Celtics might want to work exhausting on each ends of the court docket to get the higher of this matchup.
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Jaylen Brown
Photograph by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photos
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Photograph by Justin Ford/Getty Photos
Jaylen Brown vs Bogdan BogdanovicBogdanovic is averaging 16.5 factors, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals. He’s taking pictures 42.3% from the sector and 37.4% from past the arc. Within the first 2 video games towards the Celtics, he averaged 17.5 factors, 6.5 rebounds 1.5 assists and 1 steal, whereas taking pictures 43.3% from the sector and 45.3% on 3 pointers. I’m assuming that Derrick White shall be out and Jaylen Brown will transfer to taking pictures guard, however I may very well be fallacious.
Honorable Point out Jayson Tatum vs De’Andre Hunter Hunter is averaging 15.5 factors, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 46.7% from the sector and 40.2% from past the arc. Within the first 2 video games towards the Celtics, he averaged 17 factors, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists whereas taking pictures 43.5% from the sector and 40% from past the arc.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is at all times a key to profitable video games. Protection is particularly necessary for the Celtics on this recreation as a result of the Hawks are an excellent scoring staff, averaging 119.2 factors per recreation, which is fifth within the league. The Celtics are 2nd, averaging 121.2 factors per recreation. The Celtics have a defensive ranking of 110.5 which is 2nd whereas the Hawks have a defensive ranking of 118.6, which is twenty sixth. The Celtics should make protection a precedence on this recreation and so they must play that powerful protection for 48 minutes and never let up.
Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is a key to profitable. A lot of rebounding is effort and need. When the Celtics put out the additional effort on the boards, it often carries by way of to the remainder of their recreation. The Hawks are averaging 44.7 rebounds per recreation (sixth) whereas the Celtics are averaging 46.5 rebounds per recreation (2nd). The Hawks are 2nd with 16.2 second likelihood factors per recreation. The Celtics must aggressively go after each rebound. They’ll’t afford to present the Hawks additional possessions and 2nd likelihood factors by permitting them to seize rebounds.
Keep Targeted – The Celtics want to come back in centered and keep centered all through the sport. They should give attention to their photographs and shot choice. They should give attention to making their free throws. They should give attention to taking part in protection and making the appropriate switches. They should give attention to making good passes and never turning the ball over because the Hawks common 17.4 factors off turnovers per recreation. The Celtics can’t take the Hawks as a right as a result of they’ve 8 gamers out, or as a result of they’ve a shedding document. The Celtics have to remain centered on taking part in their greatest ball and never count on to win with out effort.
Be Aggressive – The Hawks play exhausting and if the Celtics permit them to play more durable than them, they only might shock the Celtics. The Hawks have been the extra aggressive staff and so they performed more durable and with extra vitality and the Celtics misplaced. The Celtics have to be the staff that performs more durable and that wishes this win extra. They must be aggressive in diving for free balls, in going to the basket, in getting stops on the defensive finish, and in going after rebounds. The Hawks are coming off a 41 level win over the Hornets and would love nothing greater than to beat the Celtics on this one, particularly since there’s a likelihood they might meet within the first spherical.
X-Elements Highway Recreation and Fatigue – The Celtics are taking part in on the street and may have the distractions of journey and a resort keep and taking part in in entrance of hostile followers in an unfamiliar area. The Celtics are taking part in within the third recreation in 4 nights, the 4th recreation in 6 days and the sixth recreation in 9 days, together with taking part in quick handed in these video games. Fatigue might come into play on this one.
Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport somewhat in another way with some calling it tight and others letting them play. Some refs simply make head scratching calls whereas others strive very exhausting to get them proper. Generally they’re tech loopy for each little factor. In some video games they name the two halves utterly in another way. The Celtics have to regulate to how the sport is being known as and give attention to taking part in the sport and never on the officiating.
