The Celtics head to Miami for his or her second straight recreation on the highway as they face the Warmth for the 2nd of 4 conferences this season. The Celtics gained the primary recreation 108-89 on December 2. They’ll meet once more in Miami on March 14 and in Boston on April 2. The Celtics gained the sequence 3-0 final season they usually gained the primary spherical sequence in final yr’s playoffs 4-1. They’re 84-53 all time general towards the Warmth and 40-30 in Miami.
The Celtics largely stood pat on the commerce deadline, solely buying and selling away Jaden Springer and signing Torrey Craig as a free agent to fill the 14th roster spot. The Warmth then again traded the unjoyful Jimmy Butler to Golden State and Josh Richardson to the Jazz they usually introduced again Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson. They need to be used to enjoying with out Butler who was both injured or suspended for many of this season. All 3 new gamers are anticipated to make their debut on this recreation.
The Celtics stay 2nd within the East. They’re 5.5 video games behind 1st place Cleveland. Because of their win on Saturday, they’re 2.5 video games forward of third place New York and seven video games forward of 4th place Indiana. They’re 21-6 on the highway and 7-3 of their final 10 video games. They’re 27-9 towards Japanese Convention groups. After profitable 4 straight, they misplaced to the Mavericks and gained their final recreation towards the Knicks.
The Warmth are seventh within the East, 16 video games behind first place Cleveland. They’re half a recreation behind sixth place Detroit and the ultimate assured playoff spot. They’re 1 recreation forward of eighth place Orlando and 6 video games forward of eleventh place Philadelphia. They’re 12-10 at residence and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 14-15 towards Japanese Convention opponents and are coming off a loss of their final recreation.
The Celtics are enjoying of their second straight highway recreation after a giant win over the Knicks on the highway on Saturday. After this recreation at Miami, they may head residence to face San Antonio, who simply traded for DeAaron Fox. They then have a a lot wanted All Star Break. They’ll play at Philadelphia and at residence towards the Knicks to start the stretch after the All Star Break.
Jrue Vacation will miss his third straight recreation resulting from a shoulder impingement that has been bothering him for awhile now. Torrey Craig must wait somewhat longer to make his debut as he’s out with an ankle harm. Jayson Tatum (knee) and Jaylen Brown (knee) are each questionable for this recreation. I’m guessing that Al Horford will as soon as once more begin instead of Jrue Vacation. I’m undecided if Jaylen and Jayson will play and who will begin in the event that they don’t.
For the Warmth, Jaime Jaquez, Jr is on their harm report. He didn’t observe on Sunday and is questionable for this recreation. Nikola Jovic is possible with an ankle harm. The warmth have 3 new gamers from the Jimmy Butler commerce and all 3, Davion Mitchell, Kyle Anderson and Andrew Wiggins, are anticipated to make their debut on this recreation. They might get a lift from Wiggins who was enjoying effectively for the Warriors earlier than the commerce.
Possible Celtics Starters
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PG: Derrick WhiteSG: Jaylen BrownSF: Jayson TatumPF: Al HorfordC: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics ReservesPayton PritchardLuke KornetNeemias QuetaXavier Tillman, SrJordan WalshBaylor ScheiermanSam Hauser
2 Approach PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Accidents/OutTorrey Craig (ankle) outJrue Vacation (shoulder) outJayson Tatum (knee) questionableJaylen Brown (knee) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Warmth Starters
Grid View
PG: Tyler HerroSG: Duncan RobinsonSF: Haywood HighsmithPF: Bam AdebayoC: Kel’el Ware
Warmth ReservesKyle AndersonAlec BurksKeshad JohnsonPelle LarssonKevin LoveDavion MitchellTerry Rozier IIIAndrew Wiggins
Two Approach PlayersJosh ChristopherIsaiah StevensDru Smith
Accidents/OutNikola Jovic (ankle) probableJaime Jaquez, Jr (sickness) questionable
Head Coach Erik Spoelstra
Key Matchups
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Derrick White
Photograph by Luke Hales/Getty Photos
Tyler Herro
Photograph by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Photos
Derrick White vs Tyler Herro Herro is the Warmth’s main scorer this season. He’s averaging 23.7 factors, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 46.4% from the sphere and 38.8% from past the arc. Towards the Celtics within the first recreation, Herro completed with 19 factors, 5 rebounds and 4 assists whereas capturing simply 31.6% from the sphere and 20.3% from past the arc. The Celtics must hold him off of the three level line and defend him each on the perimeter and within the paint.
Grid View
Al Horford
Photograph by Brian Babineau/NBAE by way of Getty Photos
Bam Adebayo
Photograph by Michael Reaves/Getty Photos
Al Horford vs Bam AdebayoAdebayo is averaging 16.4 factors, 10 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per recreation. He’s capturing 47.1% from the sphere and 28.8% from past the arc. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, he completed with 15 factors, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal whereas capturing 33.3% from the sphere and 25% from past the arc. He’s a risk to attain within the paint and seize rebounds and so the Celtics must field him out and defend him effectively within the paint.
Honorable MentionJaylen Brown vs Duncan RobinsonRobinson is averaging 10.9 factors, 2.3 rebounds and a pair of.6 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 41.8% from the sphere and 37.7% from past the arc. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, he completed with 5 factors, 3 rebounds and three assists whereas capturing simply 22.2% from the sphere and no 3 pointers. If Andrew Wiggins will get enjoying time, he can be one other participant to observe.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection will at all times be the most important key to profitable each single recreation. To this point this season, the Celtics protection hasn’t been pretty much as good because it was final yr. The Celtics are fifth with a defensive score of 110.0 whereas the Warmth are ninth with a defensive score of 111.9. The Celtics must defend the perimeter particularly for the reason that Warmth try 38.9 threes a recreation and shoot threes simply barely worse than the Celtics at 36.5%. The Celtics must work onerous on protection and make that their precedence.
Rebound – Together with protection, rebounding is at all times a key to profitable. As Pat Riley as soon as stated “No rebounds, no rings.” The Celtics common 44.8 rebounds per recreation (eleventh) whereas the Warmth common 43.9 rebounds per recreation (19nd). The Celtics are 22-5 after they out-rebound opponents. It takes effort and hustle to get rebounds and the Celtics want to offer extra effort and hustle than the Warmth to seize rebounds in the event that they wish to win this recreation.
Subsequent Man Up – With 2 gamers questionable for this recreation and a pair of gamers out, the Celtics will want each participant to step up their recreation and contribute on each ends of the court docket. They want the starters to come back out robust and get off to begin. The reserves want to come back in and sustain the vitality and hit their photographs and most significantly, each participant should play lock down protection and in addition crash the boards.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are robust to beat after they hold the ball transferring and discover the open man however when one participant over dribbles and lapses into hero ball, they falter. The Celtics are 28-1 after they have extra assists than their opponent. Preserve the ball transferring and don’t lapse into iso ball, whether or not within the first quarter or the 4th quarter. Hero ball not often works.
X-Components On the Highway – The Celtics are on the highway for the second straight recreation. Regardless of the distractions of enjoying on the highway, the Celtics have the very best highway document within the league at 21-6. They’ve additionally gained 5 straight on the highway. The Celtics want to remain centered on enjoying onerous and as a group and never be distracted by the hostile crowd or the unfamiliar court docket.
Which Celtics Staff Reveals Up – We’ve got seen the Celtics lose to groups which can be lacking stars and groups that the Celtics ought to beat handily, most not too long ago, the depleted Mavericks. And now we have seen them beat the highest groups, most not too long ago each the primary place Cavaliers and third place Knicks. When the Celtics truly strive they’re each bit the Champions we noticed final season. However, they too usually don’t play with effort, play protection or rebound. Which Celtics group will present up for this one? The group that misplaced to the Mavericks or the group that beat the Cavaliers and the Knicks?
Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor in each recreation. Each crew officiates in another way. Some name it tight, others allow them to play. 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 from enjoying the sport. The extra aggressive group will often get the advantage of the calls and so the Celtics have to be the extra aggressive group.
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