The Celtics proceed their highway journey with a cease in Atlanta to tackle the Hawks. That is the third recreation of 4 video games between these two groups this season. The Celtics gained the primary two video games this season towards Atlanta – 113-103 on Nov. 26 and 125-117 on Feb. 7, each video games had been performed in Boston. They’ll meet for the ultimate time on March 28. in Atlanta. The Celtics may have 2 days off earlier than their subsequent assembly whereas the Hawks will play Portland on Wednesday and the Celtics on Thursday.
The Celtics gained the collection 3-0 final season and so they have gained the final 7 video games towards the Hawks and the final 2 video games in Atlanta. The Celtics are 244 -147 total all time towards the Hawks and they’re 112-93 in video games performed in Atlanta. The Celtics have a seven-game successful streak towards the Hawks and have gained the previous two video games performed in Atlanta.
The Celtics stay 1st within the East, 11 video games forward of 2nd place Milwaukee, 14 video games forward of third place Cleveland, 14.5 video games forward of 4th place New York, 15 video games forward of fifth place Orlando, and 17 video games forward of sixth place Indiana. They’re 25-11 on the highway and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 38-7 towards Jap Convention groups and have gained their final 9 video games.
The Hawks are tenth within the East and are within the remaining play-in spot. They’re 7 video games behind eighth place Miami, 7.5 video games behind seventh place Philadelphia and a pair of.5 video games behind ninth place Chicago. They’re 5.5 video games forward of eleventh place Brooklyn and falling out of play-in competition. The Hawks are 17-17at house and 5-5 within the final 10 video games. They’re 18-26 towards Jap Convention groups and gained their final recreation.
The Celtics are enjoying within the third recreation of a 6 recreation highway journey by way of They beat Detroit and Chicago within the first 2 video games. They’ve yet another recreation in Atlanta after this one after which will play New Orleans and Charlotte earlier than returning house for 3 video games towards Oklahoma Metropolis, Sacramento, and Portland. Then it’s one recreation in Milwaukee earlier than ending the season at house towards New York, Charlotte and Washington.
The Hawks are enjoying within the second recreation of a 5 recreation house stand. They beat Charlotte by 41 factors within the first recreation of the house stand and can play Portland on Wednesday and the Celtics as soon as once more on Thursday and can shut out the house stand towards the Bucks. Then, it’s one recreation at Chicago and residential once more vs Detroit earlier than happening the highway once more to Dallas and Denver. Then it’s again house vs Miami and Charlotte and they’ll end the season on the highway towards Minnesota and Indiana.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis are all off the harm report presently. Derrick White has been added to the report with a a proper hand sprain. He’s questionable and shall be a recreation time resolution, though I count on him to get the sport off since he performed within the final 2 video games when different starters rested. Xavier Tillman can also be questionable with knee swelling. Jrue Vacation stays out with a shoulder contusion. I’m guessing that White will sit and Hauser and Pritchard will get the beginning.
The Hawks have 8 gamers on the harm report presently. Saddiq Bey (knee), Kobe Bufkin (toe), AJ Griffin (ankle), Mouhamed Gueye (elbow), Jalen Johnson (ankle), Onyeka Okongwu (toe) and Trae Younger (finger) are all out. Two Means participant Seth Lundy can also be out with a again harm. I’ve included the beginning 5 that’s listed of their recreation notes for this recreation.
Possible Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Oshae Brissett
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Al Horford
Jordan Walsh
Xavier Tillman
Jaden Springer
2 Means Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta
Accidents/Out
Derrick White (hand) questionable
Xavier Tillman (knee) questionable
Jrue Vacation (shoulder) out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Possible Hawks Starters
Hawks Reserves
Bruno Fernando
Trent Forrest
Garrison Mathews
Wesley Matthews
2 Means Gamers
Vit Krejci
Seth Lundy
Dylan Windler
Accidents/Out
Saddiq Bey (knee) out
Kobe Bufkin (toe) out
AJ Griffin (ankle) out
Mouhamed Gueye (elbow) out
Jalen Johnson (ankle) out
Seth Lundy (again) out
Onyeka Okongwu (toe) out
Trae Younger (finger) out
Head Coach
Quin Snyder
Key Matchups
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Payton Pritchard
Picture by Chris Schwegler/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs
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Dejounte Murray
Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photographs
Payton Pritchard vs Dejounte Murray
Murray is averaging 22.3 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per recreation. He’s capturing 46.5% from the sector and 36.8% from past the arc. Murray can also be one of many Hawks finest defenders. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, he completed with 6 factors, 4 rebounds and three assists. He shot simply 15.4% from the sector and didn’t shoot a 3. He didn’t play within the second assembly between these two groups. The Celtics might want to work arduous on each ends of the court docket to get the higher of this matchup.
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Jaylen Brown
Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs
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Bogdan Bogdanovic
Picture by Justin Ford/Getty Photographs
Jaylen Brown vs Bogdan Bogdanovic
Bogdanovic is averaging 16.5 factors, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals. He’s capturing 42.3% from the sector and 37.4% from past the arc. Within the first 2 video games towards the Celtics, he averaged 17.5 factors, 6.5 rebounds 1.5 assists and 1 steal, whereas capturing 43.3% from the sector and 45.3% on 3 pointers. I’m assuming that Derrick White shall be out and Jaylen Brown will transfer to capturing guard, however I might be flawed.
Honorable Point out
Jayson Tatum vs De’Andre Hunter
Hunter is averaging 15.5 factors, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 46.7% from the sector and 40.2% from past the arc. Within the first 2 video games towards the Celtics, he averaged 17 factors, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists whereas capturing 43.5% from the sector and 40% from past the arc.
Keys to the Sport
Protection – Protection is at all times a key to successful video games. Protection is very vital for the Celtics on this recreation as a result of the Hawks are a superb scoring crew, averaging 119.2 factors per recreation, which is fifth within the league. The Celtics are 2nd, averaging 121.2 factors per recreation. The Celtics have a defensive ranking of 110.5 which is 2nd whereas the Hawks have a defensive ranking of 118.6, which is twenty sixth. The Celtics should make protection a precedence on this recreation and so they should play that powerful protection for 48 minutes and never let up.
Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is a key to successful. A lot of rebounding is effort and need. When the Celtics put out the additional effort on the boards, it normally carries by way of to the remainder of their recreation. The Hawks are averaging 44.7 rebounds per recreation (sixth) whereas the Celtics are averaging 46.5 rebounds per recreation (2nd). The Hawks are 2nd with 16.2 second probability factors per recreation. The Celtics must aggressively go after each rebound. They’ll’t afford to provide the Hawks further possessions and 2nd probability factors by permitting them to seize rebounds.
Keep Targeted – The Celtics want to return in centered and keep centered all through the sport. They should concentrate on their photographs and shot choice. They should concentrate on making their free throws. They should concentrate on enjoying protection and making the appropriate switches. They should concentrate on making good passes and never turning the ball over because the Hawks common 17.4 factors off turnovers per recreation. The Celtics can’t take the Hawks as a right as a result of they’ve 8 gamers out, or as a result of they’ve a shedding file. The Celtics have to remain centered on enjoying their finest ball and never count on to win with out effort.
Be Aggressive – The Hawks play arduous and if the Celtics permit them to play tougher than them, they only could shock the Celtics. The Hawks had been the extra aggressive crew and so they performed tougher and with extra power and the Celtics misplaced. The Celtics have to be the crew that performs tougher and that desires this win extra. They should be aggressive in diving for free balls, in going to the basket, in getting stops on the defensive finish, and in going after rebounds. The Hawks are coming off a 41 level win over the Hornets and would love nothing greater than to beat the Celtics on this one, particularly since there’s a probability they may meet within the first spherical.
X-Elements
Highway Sport and Fatigue – The Celtics are enjoying on the highway and may have the distractions of journey and a resort keep and enjoying in entrance of hostile followers in an unfamiliar area. The Celtics are enjoying within the third recreation in 4 nights, the 4th recreation in 6 days and the sixth recreation in 9 days, together with enjoying quick handed in these video games. Fatigue might come into play on this one.
Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport slightly otherwise with some calling it tight and others letting them play. Some refs simply make head scratching calls whereas others attempt very arduous to get them proper. Typically they’re tech loopy for each little factor. In some video games they name the two halves utterly otherwise. The Celtics have to regulate to how the sport is being referred to as and concentrate on enjoying the sport and never on the officiating.