The Celtics start a 3 sport street journey with a cease in New Orleans to tackle the Pelicans. That is the 2nd, and last, sport between these two groups this season. The Celtics gained the primary sport 120-119 in Boston on January 12 when a CJ McCollum potential sport winner rimmed out. The Celtics gained the collection 2-0 final season. The Celtics are 27-21 general all time in opposition to the Pelicans and 11-13 on the street.
The Pelicans had been lively within the offseason. Their greatest transfer was to commerce Dyson Daniels, Cody Zeller, EJ Liddell and Larry Nance, Jr to Atlanta for Dejounte Murray. They signed former Celtic Daniel Theis and Antonio Reeves as free brokers. They claimed Brandon Boston off waivers and signed him to a 2 approach contract. They drafted Yves Missi with the twenty first decide.
The Celtics stay 2nd within the East, 5.5 video games behind the primary place Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re simply 1 sport forward of third place New York, who has gained their final 5 video games. They’re 5.5 video games forward of 4th place Milwaukee. They’re 17-6 on the street and 6-4 of their final 10 video games. They’re 9-6 vs Western Convention opponents and are coming off a win of their final sport.
The Pelicans are 14th within the West. They’re 26 video games behind the primary place Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. They’re 12.5 video games behind tenth place Sacramento and the final play in spot. They’re half a sport forward of fifteenth place Utah. They’re 8-17 at dwelling and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 6-15 in opposition to Jap Convention opponents. They’ve misplaced their final 4 video games.
The Celtics simply accomplished a 1-1 dwelling stand, shedding to the Rockets and beating the Bulls. After this sport on the Pelicans, they are going to play 2 extra street video games, taking part in at Philadelphia and Cleveland. Then one sport at dwelling in opposition to Dallas earlier than taking part in at New York and at Miami and at last, at dwelling in opposition to San Antonio earlier than the All Star Break.
The Pelicans are taking part in within the second straight dwelling sport, shedding to Dallas at dwelling on Wednesday. They may head out on a 4 sport street journey after this sport taking part in 2 straight video games at Denver after which at Sacramento and Oklahoma Metropolis. They may then play 2 video games at dwelling in opposition to, each in opposition to Sacramento. Then, after the All Star Break, they are going to play at Dallas and a pair of extra video games at dwelling in opposition to Sacramento adopted by 2 video games at Phoenix, again to again.
Al Horford missed the final 2 video games in opposition to Houston and Chicago with a left toe sprain however has been upgraded to possible for this sport. Sam Hauser additionally missed the Celtics’ final 2 video games with a pinched nerve in his proper hip. He’s questionable for this sport and might be a sport time resolution. Jayson Tatum was listed as questionable for the Bulls sport with proper knee tendinopathy however performed in that sport and isn’t on the harm report at the moment.
For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram is out with an ankle sprain. He hasn’t performed since December 7 and has not but been cleared for contact. Herb Jones is out with a labrum tear in his shoulder. Jordan Hawkins is questionable with a non-covid sickness and is taken into account to be a sport time resolution.
Key Matchups
Grid View
Jayson Tatum
Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Zion Williamson
Picture by Sean Gardner/Getty Pictures
Jayson Tatum vs Zion WilliamsonWilliamson is averaging 23.6 factors, 8.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 blocks per sport. He’s taking pictures 52% from the sphere and 18.2% from past the arc. Within the first sport in opposition to the Celtics, he completed with 16 factors, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals whereas taking pictures 33.3% from the sphere with no 3 pointers. The Celtics might want to defend him very carefully within the paint and midrange. He’s very arduous to cease when he will get a head of steam heading to the ring.
Grid View
Jaylen Brown
Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Trey Murphy III
Picture by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Pictures
Jaylen Brown vs Trey Murphy IIIMurphy is averaging 21.5 factors, 5.1 rebounds, and three.0 assists and 1.2 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 45.6% from the sphere and 35.7% from past the arc. Within the first sport he completed with 30 factors, 6 rebounds and 4 assists off the bench whereas taking pictures 58.8% from the sphere and 50% from past the arc. The Celtics positively must defend him higher on this sport.
Honorable MentionDerrick White vs CJ McCollum McCollum is averaging 22 factors, 3.7 rebounds, and three.9 assists per sport. He’s taking pictures 44.9% from the sphere and 37.2% from past the arc. Within the first sport in opposition to the Celtics, he completed with 13 factors, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block. He shot 33.3% from the sphere however simply 16.7% from past the arc. McCollum can rating each inside and outside and so the Celtics must defend him wherever he’s on the courtroom. In his final sport he handed Jrue Vacation for the franchise all time 3 level chief with 629 threes as a Pelican.
Keys to the GameDefense – Protection will at all times be the important thing to successful. The Pelicans common 109.1 factors per sport (twenty fourth) whereas the Celtics common 117.2 factors per sport (fifth). The Celtics are fifth within the league with a defensive ranking of 109.5. The Pelicans are twenty eighth with a defensive ranking of 117.9. They should play powerful lock down protection for all 48 minutes in the event that they need to win this, or another, sport.
Rebound – The Celtics should crash the boards as a group. Rebounding takes effort and once they put that additional effort out to dominate the boards, it usually interprets to all different areas of the sport as properly. The Pelicans are averaging 43 rebounds (twenty fourth) and the Celtics are averaging 45 rebounds per sport (eleventh). The Pelicans are fifth within the league with 15.5 second likelihood factors and so the Celtics are going to should work arduous to maintain them off the boards to maintain them from scoring second likelihood baskets.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are at their finest once they maintain the ball shifting and so they discover the open man. That they had 32 assists in opposition to the Bulls and gained by 22 factors. They’re 13-0 once they have 30 or extra assists in a sport. However, once they lapse into iso ball, they wrestle to attain and the offense stalls out. They should maintain the ball shifting and play group ball.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have gotten to be aggressive in going to the basket, taking part in protection, diving for free balls and simply taking part in more durable. Their effort and aggressiveness could make them very powerful to beat and their lack of it may possibly make them weak as we’ve got seen a number of instances this season already. They’re as soon as once more dealing with a group that performs arduous and are aggressive regardless of their shedding report. Too usually, the Celtics present an absence of effort in opposition to unhealthy groups and it usually comes again to chew them. They will’t afford to come back out with lower than 100% effort or to let up earlier than the ultimate buzzer.
X-Elements On the Street – The Celtics are taking part in on the street as soon as once more. Whether or not it’s the journey, resort dwelling, or an unfamiliar enviornment and hostile followers, there are many distractions to hinder a group taking part in on the street. The Celtics want to come back in targeted and never enable the distractions of taking part in away from dwelling to maintain them from taking part in their finest.
Officiating – Officiating at all times has the chance to be an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport in a different way. Some name each little bit of contact whereas some allow them to play. Some favor the house group and a few name it evenly and a few are simply unhealthy. Hopefully the Celtics get a crew that calls it even and lets each groups play. Nevertheless the sport is known as, they should concentrate on the sport and never enable unhealthy or no calls to take that focus away.
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