Author Topic: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5  (Read 15935 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« on: November 04, 2008, 11:29:47 PM »

Offline FLCeltsFan

  • Kendrick Perkins #1 Fan
  • Author
  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5280
  • Tommy Points: 11832
  • Marcus Smart Fan!
  at 
Boston Celtics (3-1) at Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2)
Wednesday, Nov 5
8:00 PM ET
Game #5, Road Game #3
TV:  FS OK, CSN HD
Radio:  WEEI
Ford Center



Probable Starters

PG:  Rajon Rondo   PPG 14.0 RPG 5.00 APG 6.0 EFF + 21.00
SG:  Ray Allen    PPG 11.0 RPG 2.50 APG 0.5 EFF + 4.50 
SF:   Paul Pierce    PPG 27.0 RPG 3.00 APG 4.0 EFF + 21.00
PF:   Kevin Garnett   PPG 14.5 RPG 8.00 APG 2.5 EFF + 16.50
C:    Kendrick Perkins    PPG 2.0 RPG 8.00 APG 0.0 EFF + 7.00

On the Bench  
Leon Powe
Tony Allen
Glen Davis
Eddie House
Gabe Pruitt
Brian Scalabrine
Bill Walker
Sam Cassell
 
Injuries
None

Probable Inactive
Sam Cassell
Bill Walker
JR Giddens




Probable Starters

PG: Earl Watson     PPG 8.0 RPG 2.00 APG 4.0 EFF + 9.00
SG:Kevin Durant     PPG 12.0 RPG 3.00 APG 2.0 EFF + 4.00
SF: Jeff Green  PPG 7.0 RPG 3.00 APG 2.0 EFF + 3.00
PF  Nick Collison PPG 7.0 RPG 6.00 APG 1.0 EFF + 10.00
C:  Johan Petro    PPG 2.0 RPG 3.00 APG 0.0 EFF + 2.00

On the Bench
Chris Wilcox
Russell Westbrook
Joe Smith
Desmond Mason
Kyle Weaver
Robert Swift
Damien Wilkins
John Lucas

Injuries
Mouhamed Sene (knee) day to day
DJ White  (jaw)  out
Russell Westbrook (ankle) day to day

Probable inactive
John Lucas
DJ White
Mouhamed Sene

Key Matchups
  vs 
Ray Allen will have his hands full with last year's #2 draft pick.  Durant can score and had 18 points in his last game against the Wolves.  At 6'9", Durant has a height advantage over Ray but Ray has the experience advantage.  Should be a good matchup.   

  vs 
Rondo and Watson are two very quick point guards.   It will be fun watching these two speed up and down the court and Rondo will have his hands full trying to stay in front of Watson on defense.  Watson is also quick to swipe the ball, averaging 2 steals per game and he takes good care of the ball with only 1 turnover per game. 

Game Notes
The Celtics are playing in their second back to back game of this young season.  They didn't fare well in their first back to back situation, falling to the Pacers by double digits.  The Celtics were undefeated in the second of back to back games last season and hopefully will get back to that trend with this game. 

This will be a bittersweet game for Ray Allen.  This is the team that traded him, but their fans in Oklahoma City have no allegiance to the player who spent so many years as the face of this franchise.   

These two teams are connected by several players and transactions.   Jeff Green, their starting small forward was picked by the Celtics in the draft and promptly traded to Seattle to bring Ray Allen to Boston.  Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak, the two players who came along with the draft pick are no longer with the team as they were traded to Cleveland in the middle of last season.

 Another connection has been Robert Swift.  There have been countless stories and rumors about Danny's infatuation with Swift.   It was said that Danny very much wanted Swift but had to settle for Big Al when Seattle grabbed Swift ahead of him.   Big Al was a key to bringing KG to Boston and is one of the most promising young big men in the league.  Meanwhile, Swift has been plagued with injuries and has not played in games so far this season. 

The Thunder got 39 points and 19 rebounds from their bench in their last game against the Wolves.  The Celtics bench players have got to come to play or they may be embarrassed by the Thunder's bench.  An interesting matchup here will be Leon Powe versus Chris Wilcox off the bench. 

X-Factor
Celtics Fatigue vs Thunder's Young Legs
The Celtics are playing for the second night in a row while the Thunder has been off for 2 nights.    They played a tough game against the Rockets the night before  and have to travel as well.  They  will need to come out with energy as the Thunder have some young and athletic players who will look to take it right at the Celtics every chance they get.  The key is whether they will have the energy after all the energy they had to expend to beat the Rockets and the travel after the game. 

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2008, 01:29:38 AM »

Offline ACF

  • Danny Ainge
  • **********
  • Posts: 10756
  • Tommy Points: 1157
  • A Celtic Fan
That Thunder logo looks ugly anywhere.
Not your fault, FL  ;)  TP for the thread.

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2008, 01:56:41 PM »

Offline QuinielaBox

  • Bill Walton
  • *
  • Posts: 1383
  • Tommy Points: 139
Time to go down to Oklahoma and run over some chickens and some cows.  ;D

Celtics should beat this team handily but judging by their putrid performance against Indiana Sat night, nothing should be taken for granted.

Get a fast start in both halves and quiet the crowd (except for the Celtics fans of the Great Plains).

Time to hit the road down to Oklahoma.
Wins are few, times are hard. Here is your bleeping St Patricks Day Card.

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2008, 02:02:00 PM »

Offline Redz

  • Punner
  • Global Moderator
  • Bill Russell
  • ******************************
  • Posts: 30897
  • Tommy Points: 3765
  • Yup
A win gets us back on a 65 win pace for the season.  Such is the problem with panicking after a loss the 3rd game of the season.

Of course a loss makes us a border line playoff team again ::)
Yup

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2008, 02:21:52 PM »

Offline cordobes

  • NCE
  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3556
  • Tommy Points: 576
  • Basketball is like chess, only without the dice
Good game to give some playing time to the rookies and O'Bryant.

The Thunder have some nice youngsters, but they are a pretty bad team.

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2008, 08:03:28 PM »

Offline jerrykid69

  • Payton Pritchard
  • Posts: 118
  • Tommy Points: 6
4-1 should be a lock.
“They played well when they had to. Paul Pierce is the best in the business when it comes to hitting fourth-quarter shots.”

-Kevin Garnett-

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2008, 08:34:19 PM »

Offline Celtic

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3770
  • Tommy Points: 55
  • TRANSFORMATION INTO CHAMPION COMPLETE!!!
Man those jerseys are ugly.

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2008, 08:36:39 PM »

Offline Donoghus

  • Global Moderator
  • Bill Russell
  • ******************************
  • Posts: 30939
  • Tommy Points: 1607
  • What a Pub Should Be
Scrappy team they got in OKC.


2010 CB Historical Draft - Best Overall Team

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #8 on: November 05, 2008, 08:40:51 PM »

Offline Who

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 47136
  • Tommy Points: 2401
Scrappy team they got in OKC.
They've got themselves some good role players. Their bigs have done a good job each time I've watched them this season.

They've got a desperate lack of top tier talent though.

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #9 on: November 05, 2008, 08:43:00 PM »

Offline Chief

  • Robert Parish
  • *********************
  • Posts: 21216
  • Tommy Points: 2450
This eerily resembles the Indiana game. :(
Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around.
 
Larry Bird

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #10 on: November 05, 2008, 08:46:53 PM »

Offline Celtic

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3770
  • Tommy Points: 55
  • TRANSFORMATION INTO CHAMPION COMPLETE!!!
C's will begin the blowout in the 2nd, I predict a ten point lead at the half and a win of 15+.

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #11 on: November 05, 2008, 08:47:18 PM »

Offline yoursweatersux

  • Derrick White
  • Posts: 261
  • Tommy Points: 45
Paul Pierce, last year's FINALS MVP, is has been nonexistent

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #12 on: November 05, 2008, 08:49:33 PM »

Offline RebusRankin

  • Satch Sanders
  • *********
  • Posts: 9143
  • Tommy Points: 923
Since I'm relying on the box score, how are we down 8?

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #13 on: November 05, 2008, 08:51:07 PM »

Offline Donoghus

  • Global Moderator
  • Bill Russell
  • ******************************
  • Posts: 30939
  • Tommy Points: 1607
  • What a Pub Should Be
Since I'm relying on the box score, how are we down 8?

OKC is playing some solid defense and getting some great looks at the hoop on the offensive end.  C's are also experiencing some hiccups on offense.


2010 CB Historical Draft - Best Overall Team

Re: Celtics (3-1) at Thunder (1-2) 11/5
« Reply #14 on: November 05, 2008, 08:51:08 PM »

Offline Chief

  • Robert Parish
  • *********************
  • Posts: 21216
  • Tommy Points: 2450
Since I'm relying on the box score, how are we down 8?

Bad inside defense.
Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around.
 
Larry Bird