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New Orleans Hornets (12-6) at Boston Celtics (21-2) Friday, December 12
8:00 PM ET
Game #24, Home Game #14
TV: ESPN, CSN HD
TD Banknorth Garden ProbableStarters PG Rajon Rondo 10.3 PPG 7.6 APG 2.3 SPG
SG Ray Allen 19.2 PPG 2.7 APG .393 3P%
SF Paul Pierce 18.2 PPG 6 RPG 3.5 APG
PF Kevin Garnett 16.4 PPG 9.4 RPG 1.4 BPG
C Kendrick Perkins 8 PPG 8.1 RPG 1.8 BPG
ReservesTony Allen
Glen Davis
Eddie House
Leon Powe
Gabe Pruitt
Brian Scalabrine
Patrick O'Bryant
Sam Cassell
Injuries:None
D-LeagueJR Giddens
Bill Walker
Probable StartersPG
Chris Paul 20.6 ppg, 11.8 apg, 5.6 rpg, 2.8 spg,
SG
Rasual Butler 7.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 21.6 mpg
SF
Peja Stojakovic 14.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.1 apg, 31.2 mpg
PF
David West 19.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 37.4 mpg
C
Tyson Chandler 8.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 32.1 mpg
Reserves James Posey
Devin Brown
Hilton Armstrong
Sean Marks
Morris Peterson
Melvin Ely
Antonio Daniels
Julian Wright
Injuries None
Key Matchups vs
Rajon Rondo 10.3 PPG 7.6 APG 4.9 RPG, 2.3 SPG
Chris Paul 20.6 PPG, 11.8 APG, 5.6 RPG, 2.8 SPG
vs
Kevin Garnett 16.4 PPG 9.4 RPG 1.4 BPG
David West 19.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.1 APG
Honorable Mention vs
Tony Allen 9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 20 MPG
James Posey 8.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 27.6 MPG
Team Connections Hilton Armstrong and Ray Allen are former UConn Huskies
Julian Wright and Paul Pierce are former Kansas Jayhawks
Sean Marks and Leon Powe are former Cal Golden Bears
Mike James played for the Celtics in the '03-'04 season
Hornets asst. Paul Pressey was an asst. for the Celtics from '04-'06
Scal was coached by Byron Scott in New Jersey
Melvin Ely and Eddie House were teammates on the Clippers
Peja Stojakovic and Eddie House were teammates in Sacramento
James Posey was instrumental in helping the Celtics win the championship last season.
Key Facts: The Hornets are 9-0 when scoring 100 points or more
The Hornets are 9-0 when shooting 22 or more free throws
The Hornets are 11-1 when leading after 3 quarters
The Hornets Big Three of Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic and David West are averaging 59.3 of the Hornets' 98.7 points per game. They are shooting 52.9% from the field and 51.3% from beyond the arc.
These two teams split the series 1-1 last season.
James Posey will receive his championship win in a ceremony before the game.
Keys to the GameDefense The Celtics have to guard both the perimeter and the interior. The Hornets have good 3 point shooters as well as players who can take the ball to the basket, not to mention the alley oop passes from Paul to Chandler.
Focus The Celtics need to keep their focus and not be distracted by the hoopla surrounding Posey's return. They have to take care of the ball and play team ball.
Pedal to the Metal The Celtics have to come out strong and not let up until the end of the game. They can't let a team like the Hornets get a big lead and they also can't let them hang around and keep it close. The Celtics have to play all out the entire 48 minutes.
Bench Play The Celtics bench has to keep up the level of play when they come into the game. They had a very good game vs the Wizards and can't have a let down in this one. They have to be more consistent from game to game.