The Celtics look to win their second straight sport as they host the Washington Wizards for his or her solely sport in Boston this season. That is the 4th, and remaining, sport between these two groups this season. The Celtics beat the Wizards 122-102 in Washington of their 2nd sport of the season. In addition they beat them 108-96 on November 22, additionally in Washington. They beat them 112-98 on December 15, additionally in Washington. The Celtics swept the sequence 4-0 final season. The Celtics are 205-120 general all time and they’re 107-44 in video games performed in Boston.
The Wizards have been very busy on the commerce deadline. They traded Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin for Khris Middletonand AJ Johnson. They traded Jonas Valanciunas to the Kings for Sidy Cissoko and picks and later waived Cissoko. They traded Marvin Bagley III and Johnny Davis in a 3 staff deal that introduced again Marcus Good and Colby Jones.
The Celtics stay 2nd within the East. They’re 5 video games behind 1st place Cleveland. They’re 8 video games forward of third place New York and 11 video games forward of 4th place Indiana. They’re 25-13 at residence and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 35-12 towards Jap Convention groups. They’re coming off a win of their final sport.
The Wizards are final within the East and are 1.5 video games behind the Jazz for final place within the league. They’re 45 video games behind first place Cleveland. They’re 2 video games behind 14th place Charlotte. They’re 9-28 on the street and 2-8 of their final 10 video games. They’re 12-35 towards Jap Convention groups and are coming off a loss of their final sport.
The Celtics simply accomplished the primary 6-0 street journey in Celtics historical past. The misplaced their first sport again at residence 124-103 to the Warmth. They received their 2nd sport at residence 123-103 over the Suns on Friday. After this sport, they’ll head again on the street for again to again video games at New York and at Orlando. They are going to end the season with 2 video games towards the Charlotte Hornets at residence.
Washington simply completed a 5 sport residence stand the place they misplaced to Indiana, Brooklyn, Miami, and Orlando and beat Sacramento. That is the primary of two video games on the street and they’ll play at Indiana on Tuesday. They play Philadelphia at residence earlier than closing the season on the street towards Chicago and Miami.
Kristaps Porzingis left Friday’s sport with a minimize on his nostril that required stitches. He has been cleared to play on this sport. Jaylen Brown was questionable for Friday’s sport with the knee contusion that has stored him out of a number of video games lately. He performed Friday however is as soon as once more questionable for this sport. Jayson Tatum can also be questionable for this sport with ankle soreness. I’ve included each Brown and Tatum within the beginning lineup. If they will’t play, Sam Hauser and Al Horford might get the beginning however at this level of the season, I’m unsure.
The Wizards have a protracted record of gamers out for this sport. Saddiq Bey (knee), Malcolm Brogdon (ankle), Bilal Coulibaly (hamstring), Kyshawn George (ankle), Corey Kispert (thumb), and Khris Middleton (knee) are all listed as out for this sport. Tristan Vucevic (knee ) is listed as questionable. Richaun Holmes (shoulder) is listed as possible. Jordan Poole, who missed the final sport is predicted to play on this sport.
Possible Celtics Starters
Grid View
Celtics ReservesPayton PritchardNeemias QuetaBaylor ScheiermanJordan WalshLuke KornetTorrey CraigSam HauserAl HorfordXavier Tillman, Sr
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonMiles Norris
Accidents/OutJaylen Brown (knee) questionableJayson Tatum (ankle) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Wizards Starters
Grid View
Wizards Reserves Anthony Gill Richaun HolmesColby JonesMarcus Good
Two Means PlayersJaylen MartinJT ThorTristan Vucevic
Accidents/Out Saddiq Bey (knee) out Malcolm Brogdon (ankle) out Bilal Coulibaly (hamstring) out Kyshawn George (ankle) out Corey Kispert (thumb) outKhris Middleton (knee) out Tristan Vucevic (knee) questionable Richaun Holmes (shoulder) possible
Head CoachBrian Keefe
Key Matchups
Grid View
Jayson Tatum
Picture by Justin Ford/Getty Pictures
Jordan Poole
Picture by Patrick Smith/Getty Pictures
Jayson Tatum vs Jordan PoolePoole is averaging 20.6 factors, 3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 43.1% from the sector and 38% from past the arc. Within the first 3 video games towards the Celtics, Poole averaged 23.3points, 2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and a couple of.3 steals whereas taking pictures 47.3% from the sector and 41.4% from past the arc. The Celtics want to stick with him on the perimeter as he’s a menace to hit his 3’s. He’s additionally a menace to get into the passing lanes if the Celtics get sloppy.
Grid View
Kristaps Porzingis
Picture by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Pictures
Alex Sarr
Picture by G Fiume/Getty Pictures
Kristaps Porzingis vs Alex SarrSarr is averaging 13 factors, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 blocks. He’s taking pictures 39.5% from the sector and 31.7% from past the arc. Within the first 3 video games towards the Celtics, he averaged 7.3 factors, 6.7 rebounds, 1 help and 1.7 blocks whereas taking pictures 29.4% from the sector and 15.4% on threes. Porzingis might look to offer a bit of additional effort towards his former staff.
Honorable MentionPayton Pritchard vs Marcus SmartSmart is averaging 9 factors, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 39.3% from the sector an 34.8% from past the arc. He performed only one sport towards the Celtics this season, and that was with the Grizzlies. In that sport he completed with 3 factors 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal whereas taking pictures simply 9.1% from the sector and 16.7% from past the arc. Good has been plagued with accidents since becoming a member of the Wizards however hopefully he’ll play on this one.
Keys to the Sport Protection – Protection is all the time the important thing to successful. The Celtics received their championship final season with powerful, bodily protection. To repeat, they might want to as soon as once more make protection a precedence. The Celtics are fifth with a defensive score of 110.6 whereas the Wizards are twenty eighth with a defensive score of 118.0. The Celtics should defend each within the paint and on the perimeter for all 48 minutes with no let-up.
Rebound – The Celtics are ninth with 45.1 rebounds per sport whereas the Wizards are 18th with 43.8 rebounds per sport. It’s necessary for the Celtics to rebound to offer themselves additional possessions and to restrict their opponents’ possessions. A lot of rebounding is effort and hustle and when the Celtics give additional effort and hustle on the boards, it normally interprets into the remainder of their sport. Every participant must decide to crashing the boards and going after each rebound on each ends of the court docket.
Don’t Underestimate – This is among the greatest entice video games of the season for the Celtics. The Wizards are final within the East and lacking 6 gamers with one other one questionable. This has been a recipe for catastrophe prior to now for the Celtics. The Celtics can’t take the Wizards as a right, although they’re clearly tanking and lacking gamers. Even tanking groups need to beat the Celtics and, any staff with Marcus Good will play onerous. The Wizards have wins towards the Hawks, Timberwolves and the Nuggets, who seemingly underestimated them. The Celtics should take the Wizards severely and play them as in the event that they have been the highest staff within the league.
Most Effort for 48 Minutes – The Celtics losses this season may be traced again to a scarcity of effort. Additionally, at occasions evidently they both begin off slowly and find yourself in a gap that they should dig themselves out of or they bounce out to a lead solely to let up within the second half and permit their opponent to get again into the sport and make it shut. The Celtics should play onerous on each ends of the court docket for the complete 48 minutes with no let up.
X-Elements Dwelling Sport – The Celtics are as soon as once more at residence. They need to get a lift from the house crowd and from being in acquainted environment. The Celtics must have a way of urgency at residence to guard residence court docket and never count on to win as a result of the Wizards have been tanking this season. The Wizards must take care of journey, staying in a lodge, and a hostile crowd and hopefully that can give the Celtics the benefit.
Officiating – Officiating is all the time an x-factor in each sport. Each crew officiates in another way. Some name it tight, others allow them to play. Some favor the house staff. Some favor the street staff. Some simply make unhealthy, head scratching calls as we have now seen many occasions. The Celtics want to regulate to the best way the refs name the sport and never let unhealthy calls and no calls take them out of the sport or have an effect on their focus.
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 have it, and be a part of our neighborhood.
