The Celtics proceed their highway journey with their second straight sport in Atlanta in opposition to the Hawks. That is the 4th and ultimate sport between these two groups this season. The Celtics gained the primary two video games this season in opposition to Atlanta – 113-103 on Nov. 26 and 125-117 on Feb. 7 with each video games performed in Boston. They misplaced the third sport 120-118 in Atlanta on Monday, after blowing a 30 level lead.
The Celtics gained the collection 3-0 final season and lead this season 2-1 going into this 4th sport. The Celtics are 244 -1488 total all time in opposition to the Hawks and they’re 112-94 in video games performed in Atlanta. The Celtics have been off since Monday’s sport whereas the Hawks are enjoying on the second evening of again to again video games, having performed Portland on Wednesday. The Hawks are 7-5 within the 2nd of again to again video games.
The Celtics stay 1st within the East, 11 video games forward of 2nd place Milwaukee, 13 video games forward of third place New York, 13.5 video games forward of 4th place Cleveland, 15 video games forward of fifth place Orlando, and 17 video games forward of sixth place Indiana. They’re 25-12 on the highway and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 38-8 in opposition to Jap Convention groups and misplaced their final sport after profitable the earlier 9 video games.
The Hawks are tenth within the East and are within the ultimate play-in spot. They’re 6 video games behind seventh place Miami, 5.5 video games behind eighth place Philadelphia, and 1 sport behind ninth place Chicago for house court docket within the first play in sport. They’re 5.5 video games forward of eleventh place Brooklyn and falling out of play-in rivalry. The Hawks are 18-17 at house and 5-5 within the final 10 video games. They’re 19-26 in opposition to Jap Convention groups and gained their final 3 video games.
The Celtics are enjoying within the fourth sport of a 6 sport highway journey. After this sport in Atlanta, they are going to then will play New Orleans and Charlotte earlier than returning house for 3 video games in opposition to Oklahoma Metropolis, Sacramento, and Portland. Then it’s one sport on the highway in Milwaukee earlier than ending the season at house in opposition to New York, Charlotte and Washington.
The Hawks are enjoying within the fourth sport of a 5 sport house stand. They beat Charlotte by 41 factors within the first sport of the house stand after which beat the Celtics by 2 after getting back from being down 30 level. They beat Portland on Wednesday within the third sport of the house stand. They are going to shut out the house stand in opposition to the Bucks. Then, it’s one sport at Chicago and residential once more vs Detroit earlier than happening the highway once more to Dallas and Denver. Then it’s again house vs Miami and Charlotte and they’re going to end the season on the highway in opposition to Minnesota and Indiana.
After staggering gamers over the past a number of video games, I’m anticipating a lot of the gamers to be again within the beginning lineup. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis are all off the damage report as of now. Jrue Vacation missed the final 5 video games with a shoulder damage however participated in follow on Wednesday and is questionable for this sport.
Al Horford Horford is questionable as a result of a left huge toe sprain. Jaden Springer and Xavier Tillman are each questionable with knee accidents. I’m going to guess that the beginning lineup is again collectively for this sport. If not, it’s subsequent to unimaginable to guess what Joe Mazzulla will do if any of them are out. I by no means would have guessed the beginning lineup for the final sport with Tatum on the level.
The Hawks have 8 gamers on the damage report presently. Saddiq Bey (knee), Kobe Bufkin (toe), AJ Griffin (ankle), Jalen Johnson (ankle), and Trae Younger (finger), Mouhamed Gueye (elbow) and Onyeka Okongwu (toe) are all out for this sport. Dejounte Murray (again) is questionable. I’ve included the starters listed of their sport report.
Possible Celtics Starters
Grid View
Celtics ReservesOshae BrissettLuke KornetSvi MykhailiukAl HorfordJordan WalshXavier TillmanJaden Springer
2 Manner PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonNeemias Queta
Accidents/OutAl Horford (toe) questionableXavier Tillman (knee) questionable Jrue Vacation (shoulder) questionableJaden Springer (knee) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Hawks Starters
Grid View
Hawks Reserves Bruno Fernando Trent ForrestGarrison Mathews Wesley Matthews
2 Manner Gamers Vit KrejciSeth LundyDylan Windler
Accidents/Out Saddiq Bey (knee) out Kobe Bufkin (toe) out AJ Griffin (ankle) out Mouhamed Gueye (elbow) outJalen Johnson (ankle) out Onyeka Okongwu (toe) out Trae Younger (finger) out Dejounte Murray (again) questionable
Head Coach Quin Snyder
Key Matchups
Grid View
Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Alex Goodlett/Getty Photographs
Dejounte Murray
Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photographs
Jrue Vacation vs Dejounte Murray Murray is averaging 22.3 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 46.5% from the sector and 36.8% from past the arc. Murray can be one of many Hawks finest defenders. Within the first sport in opposition to 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. On Monday, he completed with 19 factors, 5 rebounds, 15 assists and three steals.
Grid View
Derrick White
Photograph by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Photograph by Justin Ford/Getty Photographs
Derrick White 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 in opposition to 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. On Monday, he completed with 22 factors, whereas taking pictures 8-15 from the sector and 4-7 on threes. He additionally had 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.
Honorable Point out Jayson Tatum vs De’Andre Hunter Hunter is averaging 15.5 factors, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per sport. He’s taking pictures 46.7% from the sector and 40.2% from past the arc. Within the first 2 video games in opposition to 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. On Monday, he completed with 24 factors, 7 rebounds and three assists. He was 8-14 from the sector and 4-8 from past the arc.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is at all times a key to profitable video games. Protection is particularly essential for the Celtics on this sport as a result of the Hawks are scoring workforce, averaging 119.2 factors per sport, which is fifth within the league. The Celtics are 2nd, averaging 121.2 factors per sport. 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 allowed the Hawks to shoot 52.9% from the sector and 50% from past the arc on Monday they usually should do higher than that in the event that they need to win this sport. The Celtics should make protection a precedence on this sport they usually should play that powerful protection for 48 minutes and never let up. They will’t permit missed photographs to have an effect on their effort on protection.
Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is a key to profitable. A lot of rebounding is effort and want. When the Celtics put out the additional effort on the boards, it normally carries by means of to the remainder of their sport. The Hawks are averaging 44.7 rebounds per sport (sixth) whereas the Celtics are averaging 46.5 rebounds per sport (2nd). The Hawks out rebounded the Celtics 44-38 on Monday. The Celtics must aggressively go after each rebound. They will’t afford to offer the Hawks further possessions and 2nd probability factors by permitting them to beat them to rebounds.
Be Aggressive – The Hawks play laborious and on Monday, the Celtics allowed them to play tougher than them. The Hawks had been the extra aggressive workforce they usually performed tougher and with extra power and the Celtics misplaced. The Celtics have to be the workforce that performs tougher and that wishes this win extra. They should 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 Celtics should be aggressive and play laborious for 48 minutes with no let up.
Tempo and Ball Motion – The Celtics are among the many leaders in tempo within the first quarter however are 2nd to final in tempo within the 4th quarter. They moved the ball and attacked mismatches and located open photographs within the first half on Monday, however stopped shifting the ball and slowed the sport down and and had too many iso performs within the second half. They slowed it down a lot that Jayson Tatum even received an 8 second violation whereas strolling the ball up the court docket, at a time when they need to have been selecting up the tempo and shifting the ball.
X-Elements Street Recreation and Fatigue – The Celtics are enjoying on the highway and could have the distractions of journey and a resort keep and enjoying in entrance of hostile followers in an unfamiliar enviornment. Nevertheless, that they had 2 days off since their final sport after enjoying 6 video games in 9 days. The Celtics had been enjoying brief handed in most of these video games. The Hawks are enjoying on the second evening of again to again video games and are additionally enjoying brief handed. Fatigue might come into play down the stretch on this sport.
Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport slightly in another way with some calling it tight and others letting them play. Some refs simply make head scratching calls whereas others strive very laborious to get them proper. Generally they’re tech loopy for each little factor. In some video games they name the two halves fully in another way. The Celtics have to regulate to how the sport is being known as and give attention to enjoying the sport and never on the officiating.
And ensure to take a look at CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a dwell dialog concerning the sport. To take part, simply create a free account, join your LP sub when you’ve got it, and be a part of our group!
