at
Washington Wizards (0-4) at Boston Celtics (2-3)
Monday, January 2
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #6, Home Game #2
TV: CSN-NE, Comcast Sportsnet, NBA-LP 753/754
Radio: WEEI, WJFK
TD Garden Probable Starters PG
SG
SF
PF
C
Rajon Rondo...Ray Allen...Paul Pierce...Kevin Garnett... Jermaine O'Neal
Boston Bench Mob Brandon Bass
Sasha Pavlovic
JaJuan Johnson
E'Twaun Moore
Marquis Daniels
Keyon Dooling
Avery Bradley
Greg Steimsma
InjuredChris Wilcox (shoulder) day to day
Mickael Pietrus (knee) out
Jermaine O'Neal (hamstring) probable
Probable Starters PG
SG
SF
PF
C
John Wall...Nick Young....Rashard Lewis...Andary Blatche...JaVale McGee
Wizards BenchTevor Booker
Jordan Crawford
Shelvin Mack
Roger Mason
Hamedy Ndiaye
Kevin Seraphin
Chris Singleton
Ronny Turiaf
Injured Jan Vesely (hip) day to day
Maurice Evans (knee) day to day
Team ConnectionsWizards Assistant Coach Sam Cassell played for the Celtics during the 2007‐08 season and was a member of the
2008 NBA Championship team
Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen were teammates in Seattle from 2003‐07
Kevin Garnett played for Wizards head Coach Flip Saunders in Minnesota from 1995‐2005 He also played for Wizards Assistant Coach Randy Wittman in Minnesota in 2007
Garnett and Cassell were teammates in Minnesota from 2003‐05
John Wall and Rajon Rondo both attended the University of Kentucky
Avery Bradley and Maurice Evans both attended the University of Texas.
Key Matchupsvs
Rajon Rondo vs John Wall
As Rondo goes so go the Celtics. In their first meeting, Rondo clearly won this matchup with a triple double and he was also in control of the game. Wall will be looking to show that Rondo isn't the best PG out of Kentucky.
vs
Jermaine O'Neal vs Javale McGee
Jermaine O'Neal finally came alive in the Celtics' home opener and he played well in the first game of this home and home series. McGee played very well in the first game with 16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. JO left the game with a tight hamstring and Doc said that he could have come back in if they needed him. Hopefully he will be good to go in this game as the Celtics very much need him against the 7 foot and athletic McGeen.
Honorable MentionKevin Garnett vs Andray Blatche
Kevin Garnett had his best game of the season in the first game against the Wizards with 24 points on 17 shot attempts to go with 9 rebounds. The Celtics will need continued aggressive play from KG on both ends of the court.
Keys to the Game Rebound The Celtics must crash the boards and keep the Wizards from getting second chance points, fast break opportunities and extra possessions. The Celtics out rebounded the Wizards 41-39 in the first game and they need to aggressively go after rebounds in this game as well.
Defense Defense always wins games. The Celtics have to make defense their priority and shut down the paint as well as staying on their outside shooters. When the Celtics clamp down on defense the rest of their game picks up. They still aren't back to where they need to be defensively but they are getting better.
Be Aggressive The Celtics need to play aggressively. They need to take the ball to the hoop and try to get to the line early and often. Make the officials call the fouls. They also have to go for every loose ball and battle for all the rebounds. If they play passively, they could be facing another loss to a team that is hungry for their first win.
Limit Turnovers - The Celtics have turned the ball over too much in games so far. The tend to make lazy passes and lose focus from time to time and give their opponents easy scoring opportunities because of it. They had 16 turnovers in the first game to just 14 for the Wizards. They need to take better care of the ball.
X-FactorsFocus and FatigueThe Celtics have not done well in back to back games in the last couple of years. Doc kept the starters minutes down pretty well in the first game with KG, Pierce and JO all playing under 30 minutes and Ray at 35 minutes and Rondo at 33. Hopefully fatigue won't be a big factor. The Celtics also need to focus on this game and not take the Wizards for granted. The Wizards are the only team left winless and that is pretty strong motivation to play hard. The Celtics better not underestimate them.