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[FLCeltsFan]

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Toronto Raptors (4-2) at Boston Celtics (6-1)Monday, November 10
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #8,  Home Game #4
TV:  CSN HD, CBC, NBA LP NBA 2
TD Banknorth Garden




Probable Starters

Rondo/  R Allen/  Pierce/  Garnett/  Perkins

Reserves
Tony Allen
Glen Davis
Eddie House
Leon Powe
Gabe Pruitt
Brian Scalabrine
Patrick O'Bryant
JR Giddens
Bill Walker
Sam Cassell 
 
Injuries:
None

Probable Inactive
JR Giddens
Patrick O'Bryant 
Sam Cassell





Calderon/  Parker/  Moon/  Bosh/  O'Neal

Reserves
Joey Graham
Will Solomon
Jason Kapono
Andrea Bargnani
Hassan Adams
Roko Ukic
Kris Humphreys
Nathan Jawai

Injuries
None

Probable Inactive
Nathan Jawai

Key Matchups
  vs 
Rajon Rondo   PPG 8.7 RPG 4.20 APG 7.0 EFF + 14.67
Jose Calderon   PPG 16.8 RPG 4.00 APG 9.8 EFF + 23.20

  vs 
Kevin Garnett   PPG 15.7 RPG 9.70 APG 1.3 EFF + 18.33
Chris Bosh   PPG 26.0 RPG 10.20 APG 2.4 EFF + 26.80

Honorable Mention
Kendrick Perkins   PPG 6.8 RPG 7.50 APG 1.2 EFF + 11.83
Jermaine O'Neal    PPG 11.6 RPG 5.80 APG 2.2 EFF + 12.20

Keys to the Game:
Defend the Perimeter:    The Raptors can kill you from beyond the arc as they have the green light to shoot the 3 and are very effective from that distance.  They have 5 players shooting 53% or more from beyond the arc and the Celtics will need to stay with the Raptors defensively out on the perimeter. 

Start Strong   The Celtics need to come out strong from the start and not allow themselves to get into a hole as they have several times already this season.  With the Raptors' potent offense, they can't afford to start slow and play catch up.

Free Throws    The Celtics are an aggressive team and get to the line a lot, but they haven't been able to take full advantage of that as they have been terrible from the line this season.  They need to hit their free throws as it will cost them close games if they don't.   

X-Factor
Back to Back and Travel
Both teams are playing in the second of back to back games and both teams had to travel.  The Raptors' game was at 1:00 while the Celtics played at 6:00 PM.  Both teams are coming off a double digit win  The team that deals best with the fatigue of travel and playing back to back will pull out the win. 

[guava_wrench]

Nice job, as always, but...

"The team that deals best with the fatigue of travel and playing back to back will pull out the win"? There's a safe statement no one can prove or disprove!

So much for the important of talent and teamwork. I guess that also makes the keys to the game moot.

[CelticBalla32]

Great setup as always, FL.

I'll be at this game, can't wait.

[Redz]

Me-thinks we can't can't have the starters sleep walking at the start of the game tonight.

[crownsy]

paul needs to come out of the offensive funk tonight, moon should not be able to gaurd him. Paul needs to make that the matchup nightmare it should be for toronto.

[ma11l]

I think I'm more excited for these next 2 games than I was for the Detroit game.  These two teams gave us trouble last year.  They're the kind of young and gunning teams that are going to be out to get us this year.  It is easy for us to get up for the Pistons and the Lakers of the league, but perhaps not as easy as these second tier teams.


The key tonight will be to not let them shoot as well from behind the arc as they did in the game they beat us in the Garden last year.  There weren't a lot of losses last year, but I remember them more than the losses.  I'm sure the team and especially Doc feel the same way.  Hopefully they will come to play tonight, if they do it should be another W.

[Bankshot]

This should be a better matchup for Rondo that TJ Ford is no longer there.  Ford has Rondo's number.

[ManUp]

For us to win this Rondo will have to defend Calderon a lot better than he did Ford. I think that the pg match-up is where the game will be won or loss. I know KG will do his part on Bosh, and I'm confident Perk can cover O'neal, but Rondo is inconsistent against quality point guards.

I'm going to say that this will be a hard fought game that the Celts will pull out.

Celtics by no more than 5.

[Who]

I was more worried about the Raptors last season.

I think Perk will match up extremely well with Jermaine and limit him fiercely. I'd be more worried about Bargnani because of his shooting range and how he opens their pick and roll game ... but Jermaine will allow the C's to play a defense closer to their usual style. Jermaine is also up and down to begin the season, mostly down, his usual inefficient self and turning the ball over. He's playing inside and not shooting jumpers, but he's still taking wimpy shots out of the post. Letting the Raptors get him the post looks a good option. For this matchup alone, I think the Raptors would be best served playing Bargnani ahead of Jermaine.

I worried about the Raps last year because of how their bigs took the C's out of the paint, and how if the Raps got hot they'd be incredibly difficult to beat. A tough team to match up with. Jermaine makes it easier, for the Celtics specifically, to match up with.

The Raptors also look weaker on the wings. The loss of Garbajosa and Delfino. Their three main guys now are Parker (who's declined defensively hugely since his first season), Moon (who's been poor to start the season) and Kapono (who does nothing except score at a mediocre rate and turn down three pointers). Oh and Joey Graham.

Nobody has stepped up as Calderon's backup either.

They're also doing an awful job on the backboards.

Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce all have matchups they can exploit on the offensive end. The C's should kill this team on dribble penetration from the perimeter. Tony Allen too. Then beat them up on the boards and contain them defensively.

Toronto have the worst collection (starters+backups) of perimeter players of any playoff team in the league ... and it's not close. They were able to work around it last season because they had two excellent PGs who could make every decision, penetrate at will, and create easier opportunities for teammates. Without TJ Ford more burden has been placed on the shoulders of their wings who haven't, and can't consistently, handle that pressure.

I struggle to see how Toronto make this a game. I'm expecting a convincing win from the C's tonight.

[makaveli]

I can't wait for this game, a Croat Roko Ukić is playin', so it will be a great game.
I think that one key to the game is our bench. They are outstanding this season, yesterday they nearly outscored the starters, and they all play with so much confidence.BBD is showing is game, making believers out of his defenders, Tony is just outstanding, House is doing his part with high %, Powe is just Powe,a hustler night-in-night-out.
It's such a joy to watch this group play out there, it seams sometimes like I'm watching a movie with my favorite actors in the starring roles 
I'm only sorry for the Indiana game, but it's something we needed, got us back on track

[xmuscularghandix]

but it's something we needed, got us back on track

[cordobes]

I can't wait for this game, a Croat Roko Ukić is playin', so it will be a great game.
I think that one key to the game is our bench. They are outstanding this season, yesterday they nearly outscored the starters, and they all play with so much confidence.BBD is showing is game, making believers out of his defenders, Tony is just outstanding, House is doing his part with high %, Powe is just Powe,a hustler night-in-night-out.
It's such a joy to watch this group play out there, it seams sometimes like I'm watching a movie with my favorite actors in the starring roles 
I'm only sorry for the Indiana game, but it's something we needed, got us back on track

The single thing that surprised me more in this NBA season so far was Ukic beating Solomon to the backup PG spot in the Raptors, as odd as this may seem. In my eyes, it's like Sun Yue beating Farmar, Pruitt beating House, Bynum beating Stuckey, or even worse. In fact, it's worse, I can't think of a similar situation.

That said, you have a point. Our bench is much better than theirs and we're probably going to take advantage of that.

[cordobes]

I was more worried about the Raptors last season.

(...)
The Raptors also look weaker on the wings. The loss of Garbajosa and Delfino. Their three main guys now are Parker (who's declined defensively hugely since his first season), Moon (who's been poor to start the season) and Kapono (who does nothing except score at a mediocre rate and turn down three pointers). Oh and Joey Graham.
(...)

Excellent post. On this particular point, every time I saw them playing this season, Kapono was consistently passing open 3s and attempting to make dribble drives. Very weird stuff.

But yeah, their perimeter is atrocious, particularly on defense, and O'Neal hurts more than helps on the offensive end. They should try to trade for Gerald Wallace at all costs if they really want to win now, and I'm not even a fan of Wallace.

[xmuscularghandix]

i think pierce's shot has been thrown off by his change of body type. he's too hot to handle, even for himself.

[zerophase]

pierce has not looked to slash once... that's what made him so effective in game one. slash and take it to the hoop. that's pierce's best game right there.