The Celtics start a 3 sport highway journey with a cease in New Orleans to tackle the Pelicans. That is the 2nd, and remaining, sport between these two groups this season. The Celtics received the primary sport 120-119 in Boston on January 12 when a CJ McCollum potential sport winner rimmed out. The Celtics received the sequence 2-0 final season. The Celtics are 27-21 general all time towards the Pelicans and 11-13 on the highway.
The Pelicans have been energetic 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 manner 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 received their final 5 video games. They’re 5.5 video games forward of 4th place Milwaukee. They’re 17-6 on the highway 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 house and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 6-15 towards Japanese Convention opponents. They’ve misplaced their final 4 video games.
The Celtics simply accomplished a 1-1 house stand, dropping to the Rockets and beating the Bulls. After this sport on the Pelicans, they are going to play 2 extra highway video games, enjoying at Philadelphia and Cleveland. Then one sport at house towards Dallas earlier than enjoying at New York and at Miami and eventually, at house towards San Antonio earlier than the All Star Break.
The Pelicans are enjoying within the second straight house sport, dropping to Dallas at house on Wednesday. They are going to head out on a 4 sport highway journey after this sport enjoying 2 straight video games at Denver after which at Sacramento and Oklahoma Metropolis. They are going to then play 2 video games at house towards, each towards Sacramento. Then, after the All Star Break, they are going to play at Dallas and a couple of extra video games at house towards Sacramento adopted by 2 video games at Phoenix, again to again.
Al Horford missed the final 2 video games towards 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 can 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 damage 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
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Jayson Tatum
Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Photos
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Zion Williamson
Picture by Sean Gardner/Getty Photos
Jayson Tatum vs Zion Williamson
Williamson 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 towards 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 exhausting to cease when he will get a head of steam heading to the ring.
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Jaylen Brown
Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Photos
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Trey Murphy III
Picture by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Photos
Jaylen Brown vs Trey Murphy III
Murphy 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 undoubtedly have to defend him higher on this sport.
Honorable Point out
Derrick 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 towards 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 have to 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 Recreation
Protection – Protection will all the time 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 score of 109.5. The Pelicans are twenty eighth with a defensive score of 117.9. They must play robust lock down protection for all 48 minutes in the event that they need to win this, or some other, sport.
Rebound – The Celtics must crash the boards as a crew. 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 effectively. 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 must work exhausting to maintain them off the boards to maintain them from scoring second likelihood baskets.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are at their greatest once they preserve the ball shifting they usually discover the open man. That they had 32 assists towards the Bulls and received by 22 factors. They’re 13-0 once they have 30 or extra assists in a sport. Then again, once they lapse into iso ball, they wrestle to attain and the offense stalls out. They should preserve the ball shifting and play crew ball.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have gotten to be aggressive in going to the basket, enjoying protection, diving for unfastened balls and simply enjoying tougher. Their effort and aggressiveness could make them very robust 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 going through a crew that performs exhausting and are aggressive despite their dropping document. Too usually, the Celtics present an absence of effort towards dangerous groups and it usually comes again to chew them. They’ll’t afford to return out with lower than 100% effort or to let up earlier than the ultimate buzzer.
X-Components
On the Street – The Celtics are enjoying on the highway as soon as once more. Whether or not it’s the journey, lodge residing, or an unfamiliar area and hostile followers, there are many distractions to hinder a crew enjoying on the highway. The Celtics want to return in centered and never permit the distractions of enjoying away from house to maintain them from enjoying their greatest.
Officiating – Officiating all the time has the likelihood to be an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport otherwise. Some name each little bit of contact whereas some allow them to play. Some favor the house crew and a few name it evenly and a few are simply dangerous. Hopefully the Celtics get a crew that calls it even and lets each groups play. Nonetheless the sport known as, they should concentrate on the sport and never permit dangerous or no calls to take that focus away.
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