The Celtics return house after a 3-1 Western street journey to host the Sacramento Kings. That is the primary of two video games between these two groups this season. They’ll meet once more in Boston on March 24. The Celtics received the collection 2-0 final season. The Celtics are 192-119 all time in opposition to the Kings and they’re 70-75 at house. They’re 47-29 in opposition to the Kings within the Sacramento period and 30-7 in Boston over that interval.
The Celtics stay 2nd within the East, however have slipped to six video games behind the primary place Cleveland Cavaliers, who’ve received 12 straight video games. They’re 2.5 video games forward of third place New York and 5.5 video games forward of 4th place Orlando. They’re 13-6 at house and 6-4 of their final 10 video games. They’re 5-3 vs Western Convention opponents and are coming off a win of their final recreation.
The Kings are eleventh within the West, 12.5 video games behind first place Oklahoma Metropolis. They’re tied with tenth place San Antonio and half a recreation behind ninth place Golden State. They’re 2.5 video games behind the sixth place Lakers and 1 recreation forward of twelfth place Phoenix. They’re 8-7 on the street and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 5-5 in opposition to Japanese Convention groups. They’re 5-1 since Mike Brown was fired as coach and have received their final 5 video games.
The Kings made one huge transfer within the off season. They traded Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte and picks to Chicago for DeMar DeRozan. They signed Jordan McLaughlin, Orlando Robinson and Keon Ellis in free company. They drafted Devin Carter. Gamers misplaced from final season’s workforce embody Kessler Edwards, Jordan Ford, JaVale McGee and Jalen Slawson. The most important transfer got here on December 27 after they fired Mike Brown and moved Doug Christie to interim coach. They’re on a 5 recreation win streak and are 5-1 since that transfer.
The Celtics simply accomplished a 4 recreation street journey that began with again to again wins over Minnesota and Houston and ended with a win over Denver. Their solely loss was to the Thunder. That is the primary of two house video games in opposition to Western Convention groups with New Orleans developing on Sunday. They then head to Toronto to face the Raptors for the third time. They’ll then host Orlando and Atlanta earlier than their 2nd Western street journey of the month by means of Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers and Dallas.
The Kings final performed at house on Monday after they beat the Warmth in double time beyond regulation. They’re starting a 3 recreation street journey and can play at Chicago and Milwaukee after this recreation. They’ll then head house to face Houston, Washington and Golden State earlier than heading out on a 6 recreation street journey by means of Denver, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Oklahoma Metropolis and Minnesota.
Derrick White missed Tuesday’s recreation with an sickness however has been faraway from the damage checklist for this one. Jordan Walsh missed Tuesday’s recreation with an sickness and is questionable for this recreation. Drew Peterson is out with a concussion. For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox is out with a hip damage. Malik Monk will probably get the beginning in his place.
Possible Celtics Starters
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PG: Jrue HolidaySG: Derrick WhiteSF: Jaylen BrownPF: Jayson TatumC: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics ReservesLuke KornetPayton PritchardNeemias QuetaSam HauserBaylor ScheiermanJaden SpringerXavier Tillman, SrJordan WalshAl Horford
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Accidents/OutDrew Peterson (concussion) out Jordan Walsh (sickness) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Kings Starters
Grid View
PG: Malik MonkSG: Keon EllisSF: DeMar DeRozanPF: Keegan MurrayC : Domantas Sabonis
Kings Reserves Devin CarterJae CrowderKevin HuerterColby JonesAlex LenTrey LylesDoug McDermottJordan McLaughlinOrlando Robinson
2 Means PlayersIsaiah CrawfordIsaac Jones Mason Jones
Accidents/OutDe’Aaron Fox (hip) out
Head CoachDoug Christie (interim)
Key Matchups
Grid View
Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Ron Hoskins/NBAE through Getty Photos
Malik Monk
Photograph by Eakin Howard/Getty Photos
Jrue Vacation vs Malik Monk Monk is averaging 17 factors, 3.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists. He’s taking pictures 43.9% from the sphere and 34.9% from past the arc. With Fox out, Monk will probably get the beginning. He’s a risk from the perimeter but in addition can get to the basket.
Grid View
Kristaps Porzingis
Photograph by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Photos
Domantas Sabonis
Photograph by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Photos
Kristaps Porzingis vs Domantas SabonisHe is averaging 20.6 factors, 13.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 59.2% from the sphere and 44.4% from past the arc. The Celtics must hold him out of the paint and off the boards and they should guard him each inside and on the perimeter. After the Denver recreation, Porzingis stated that he’s nearly again to feeling like he’s wholesome. We now have to hope that may proceed and that he stays wholesome.
Honorable MentionJaylen Brown vs DeMar DeRozanDeRozan is averaging 20.8 factors, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 48.6% from the sphere and 30.7% from past the arc. He’s additionally superb from the midrange and so the Celtics should guard him for the complete possession, inside, midrange and on the perimeter.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is all the time the important thing to profitable each recreation. The Kings have a defensive ranking of 112.5 (sixteenth). The Celtics defensive ranking is 109.4, sixth within the league. The Celtics must defend the paint because the Kings common 48.3 factors within the paint per recreation. The Kings common 35.5 three pointers tried per recreation so the Celtics should additionally defend the perimeter. The Celtics must make protection a precedence and decide to taking part in robust lock down protection for 48 minutes.
Rebound – A lot of rebounding is effort and want. The Celtics should put out further effort to seize the rebounds on each ends of the courtroom. By doing so, they restrict the second probability factors and quick breaks for the Kings and likewise give themselves further possessions. The Celtics are averaging 44.9 rebounds per recreation to 44.1 rebounds per recreation for the Kings. The Kings common 14.3 second probability factors per recreation and additional effort from the Celtics can restrict these.
Effort and Vitality for 48 Minutes – The Celtics have to be the extra aggressive workforce. They should battle for unfastened balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and simply play more durable than the Kings for the complete recreation. They’ve to start the sport with vitality and never enable the Kings to get an enormous lead they usually can’t let up all through the sport. They particularly have to return out robust within the third quarter and play arduous till the ultimate buzzer. As proven in opposition to the Thunder, the workforce that’s extra aggressive and that performs more durable normally will get the good thing about extra calls from the refs as nicely.
To three or To not 3 – The Celtics are first within the league, trying 49.8 threes a recreation. After they fall, the Celtics are robust to beat. However, after they aren’t falling, the Celtics battle. If the Celtics aren’t hitting their 3s, they should go to Plan B and take the ball to the basket or shoot from midrange. The Celtics tried simply 35 threes in opposition to Denver they usually received the factors within the paint. 60-46. The Celtics must do the identical on this recreation. If the 3s are falling, nice!! If not, go to Plan B.
X-Elements House Courtroom Benefit – The Celtics labored arduous to get house courtroom all through the playoffs final season, dropping simply 4 video games at house all season. They’ve already misplaced 6 video games at house this season and they should get again to dominating on their house courtroom. They’re taking part in in entrance of their very own followers and on their very own acquainted courtroom whereas the Kings are taking part in on the street and have journey, a hostile crowd and street fatigue to distract them. Nonetheless, the primary recreation again after an enormous street journey is all the time a tricky one.
Officiating – Officiating can all the time be an x-factor. Each crew will name the sport otherwise. Some will name each little factor and the sport can have no movement. Others will let so much go and allow them to play. Some crews favor the house workforce whereas others name it evenly or have a private agenda. The Celtics want to regulate to how the sport is known as and never let the officers take away their focus.
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