The Celtics proceed their highway journey with a cease in Portland to tackle the Path Blazers. That is the primary of two conferences between these two groups this season. They’ll meet a second time in Boston on April 7. The Celtics gained the sequence 2-0 final season. They’re 73-49 all time total and they’re 34-27 in video games performed in Portland.
The Celtics are 1st within the East. They’re 8 video games forward of 2nd place Milwaukee, 8.5 video games forward of third place Cleveland, 12.5 video games forward of 4th place New York, 13 video games forward of fifth place Orlando and 13.5 forward of sixth place Philadelphia. They’re 20-11 on the highway and 8-2 of their final 10 video games. They’re 16-7 in opposition to Western Convention groups and are coming off a win of their final sport.
The Path Blazers are 14th within the West, 4.5 video games forward of final place San Antonio. They’re 3 video games behind thirteenth place Memphis, 9.5 video games behind twelfth place Utah and 15 video games behind the ultimate play in spot. They’re 10-22 at house and 3-7 of their final 10 video games. They’re 10-10 in opposition to Japanese Convention groups and are coming off a win of their final sport.
The Celtics began their present highway journey off with 2 straight losses in opposition to Cleveland and Denver. They then gained the third sport in Phoenix. After this sport they’ll end the highway journey in Utah. They’ll return house to face the Suns earlier than a sport in Washington. They then have house video games in opposition to Detroit and Milwaukee earlier than a 6 sport highway journey by way of Detroit, Chicago, 2 video games in Atlanta, New Orleans and Charlotte.
The Path Blazers are taking part in within the 4th sport of a 6 sport house stand. They’re 2-1 to date, having misplaced to Oklahoma Metropolis and Houston after which they beat Toronto on Saturday. They’ll host Altlanta and New York to complete off their house stand. They’ll then play at New Orleans and Chicago earlier than going through the Clippers at house twice after which Denver, adopted by a 7 sport highway journey ending in Boston.
The Celtics’ whole beginning lineup was initially listed on the harm report. As of now, Jrue Vacation is out with left knee tendinopathy, Svi Mykhailiuk is out for private causes, and Kristaps Porzingis is out with a hamstring harm. Brown, Tatum and White are all accessible. Al Horford will probably begin at middle and I’m going to guess that Sam Hauser will get the beginning at small ahead.
The Path Blazers have Shaedon Sharp (stomach), Jabari Walker (hip), Malcolm Brogdon (elbow) and Robert Williams III (knee) out for this contest. Scoot Henderson returned from and eight sport absence as a consequence of an adductor harm on Saturday. He got here off the bench in that sport and will return to the beginning lineup or might proceed off the bench on this one. Deandre Ayton returned from a hand harm on Saturday and completed with 30 factors and 19 rebounds and will stay within the beginning lineup for this sport. Jerami Grant missed the final 2 video games with a hamstring harm and is questionable for this sport.
Possible Celtics Starters
Grid View
Celtics ReservesOshae BrissettLuke KornetPayton PritchardJordan WalshXavier TillmanJaden Springer
2 Approach PlayersJD DavisonNeemias QuetaDrew Peterson
Accidents/OutJrue Vacation (knee) questionable Kristaps Porzingis (hamstring) out Svi Mykhailiuk (private) out
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Path Blazers Starters
Grid View
Path Blazers ReservesMoses BrownDuop ReathRayan RupertMatisse ThybulleScoot Henderson
Two-Approach PlayersIbou BadjiAshton Hagans Justin Minaya
Accidents/OutMalcolm Brogdon (elbow) out Shaedon Sharpe (stomach) out Jabari Walker (hip) out Robert Williams III (knee) out Jerami Grant (hamstring) questionable
Head Coach Chauncey Billups
Key Matchups
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Derrick White
Photograph by Carmen Mandato/Getty Photos
Anfernee Simons
Photograph by Wealthy Schultz/Getty Photos
Jrue Vacation vs Anfernee Simons Simons is averaging 22.9 factors, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per sport. He’s taking pictures 43.1% from the sector and 38.9% from past the arc. He’s their most constant participant and slowing him down will go a good distance towards getting a win. As I acknowledged above, Vacation might or might not play however I’m undecided who would begin right here if he sits.
Grid View
Al Horford
Photograph by Steven Ryan/Getty Photos
Deandre Ayton
Photograph by Soobum Im/Getty Photos
Al Horford vs Deandre AytonAyton is averaging 14.7 factors, 10.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 56.9% from the sector and doesn’t shoot 3 pointers. He returned Saturday after lacking time with a hand harm and completed with 30 factors and 19 rebounds. The Celtics have to hold him out of the paint and off the boards.
Honorable Point out Jaylen Brown vs Delano Banton Banton will likely be going through his former staff for the primary time since being traded. He’s averaging 6.2 factors, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per sport on the yr. In his final sport, he completed with 25 factors (9-16, 5-8), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block. Scoot Henderson returned in that sport from an 8 sport absence and got here off the bench. He might return to the beginning lineup on this sport with Banton returning to the bench.
Keys to the GameDefense – I do know I say it each sport, however protection is the important thing to profitable each sport. The Blazers common 108.1 factors and the Celtics common 120.7 factors per sport. The Celtics are 2nd within the league with a defensive score of 110.3 whereas the Blazers are twenty first with a defensive score of 116.7. The Celtics have to hold making powerful protection their precedence and identification. They need to make protection their identification constantly in each minute of each sport, particularly as they get nearer to the playoffs.
Rebound – The Celtics are 1st with 47.2 rebounds per sport whereas the Path Blazers are twenty fourth with 42 rebounds per sport. The Celtics should make an additional effort to seize rebounds so as to give themselves further possessions in addition to to maintain the Blazers from scoring second probability factors. The Celtics should be the staff that works more durable on the boards in the event that they wish to win this one. A lot of rebounding is effort and want and the Celtics want each to get a win on this sport.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics need to be the staff that works more durable and desires 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 properly and never accept outdoors photographs, particularly in the event that they aren’t falling. The Celtics have misplaced video games they need to have gained by not taking part in as arduous as their opponents. They will’t let the Blazers be the staff that works more durable in the event that they wish to win this sport.
Don’t Get Complacent – They’re first within the league, 8 video games forward of the 2nd place Bucks. They’re taking part in a nasty Path Blazers staff with a number of gamers out. The Celtics want to return out able to play their finest and never play all the way down to a brief handed Blazers staff pondering they’ll coast to a win with out giving a powerful staff effort. If a number of of the Celtics starters sit, then the reserves who substitute them have to up their sport to make up for taking part in quick handed.
X-Elements On the Highway – The Celtics are on the highway and need to take care of journey, a hostile crowd, and an unfamiliar courtroom together with a time change. They’ve to dam out all of the distractions that taking part in on the highway brings and focus on taking part in Celtics basketball. The Moda Heart has an important ambiance for the house staff and the Celtics might want to work arduous to beat them there. With journey and jet lag, fatigue might turn out to be an element on this one.
Accidents – Each groups are coping with gamers out for one purpose or one other. The Celtics ought to be capable of win with Vacation and Porzingis out, however the remainder of the staff wants to select up their sport to fill in for the injured gamers. Additionally, if a few of the Blazers can return then it might give them a lift. Depth will come into play for each groups.
Officiating – I do know that I say this each sport, however the officiating actually is all the time an x-factor in each sport. Each crew calls the sport otherwise whether or not they name each little ticky tack foul or they let lots of contact go and let the groups play. Some refs favor the house staff and a few not a lot. The Celtics have gotten to regulate to the best way the sport is being known as and never let themselves get annoyed by the officiating.
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