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Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« on: March 11, 2012, 10:53:56 PM »

Offline FLCeltsFan

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Boston Celtics (21-19) at Los Angeles Clippers (23-15)
Monday, March 12
10:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #41,  Road Game #17
TV:  ESPN, SNET1, PRIME, CSN-NE
Radio:  WEEI, KFWB
Staples Center




Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs 
Rajon Rondo vs Chris Paul

Shooting Guard
  vs 
Ray Allen vs Randy Foye 

Small Forward
  vs 
Paul Pierce vs Caron Butler 

Power Forward
vs
Brandon Bass vs Blake Griffin

Center
vs
Kevin Garnett  vs DeAndre Jordan





Reserves
Marquis Daniels
Greg Stiemsma
JaJuan Johnson
E'Twaun Moore
Avery Bradley
Sasha Pavlovic
Keyon Dooling
Mickael Pietrus 

Injuries
Jermaine O'Neal (wrist) out
Chris Wilcox (cardiac) out


Reserves
Eric Bledsoe
Reggie Evans
Brian Cook
Bobby Simmons
Trey Thompkins
Mo Williams
Travis Leslie

Injuries
Chauncey Billups (Achilles)  out
Ryan Gomes (illness) day to day
Kenyon Martin (ribs) day to day

Game Notes
This is the Celtics first and only meeting with the Clippers this season.   The Clippers fortunes have definitely changed.  With Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, they are no longer the doormat and laughing stock of the league.  This won't be an easy game for the Celtics like it might have been in past seasons. 

Both teams are playing in back to back games.  The Celtics played an early game where the Clippers played later.   At least the Celtics didn't have to travel overnight to get to the game.   But fatigue could be a problem since the starters all played around 40 minutes against the Lakers.  Hopefully they will have time to recharge and will have enough left in the tank to put up a fight against the younger and more athletic Clippers. 

The Celtics are still 7th in the East 2 games behind Atlanta for the 6th seed and 3 1/2 games ahead of New York for 8th.  They also have fallen 3 games behind a suddenly surging Philly for the Atlantic Division.  Lakers fans will be grudgingly cheering for the Celtics in this one as the Clippers are half a game behind the Lakers for the 3rd spot in the West. 

The Clippers are a high scoring team, ranking 5th in the league with 98.3 points per game but they allow 96.1 points per game.  The Celtics rank 26th in scoring at 90.9 PPG but allow only 89.7 ppg.  The Celtics need to make defense a priority as they won't win in a shoot out.   The Celtics once again face a good rebounding team.  The Clippers are 12th, pulling down 42.9 rebounds per game.  As has been well documented,  the Celtics are last, grabbing only 38.9 rebounds per game.  The Celtics need to rebound and box out as a team. 

The Clippers have been on somewhat of a slide, going just 4-6 in their last 10 games.  The Celtics are 6-4 but are beginning a brutal road trip and it's going to be very tough for the team to stay on a winning track.  The Celtics have slipped to just 5-11 on the road and the Clippers play well at home with a 12-5 record. 

No way around it,  this is going to be a tough game.  The Celtics will need to come out focused and will need to play as a team if they want to pull this one out. 

Key Matchups
vs 
Rajon Rondo vs Chris Paul
This is a matchup of 2 All Star point guards.  Rondo always get up to play against the top point guards in the league.  He's going to need to because Chris Paul is a tough matchup.

vs
Brandon Bass vs Blake Griffin
Another tough matchup for Bass.  First Gasol, who had a height advantage and now Griffin who has the advantage with his athleticism.  Bass needs to play him tough.   

Keys to the Game
Defense - The Celtics must make defense a priority.    They played great defense in spurts against the Lakers but down the stretch allowed them to go on an 8-0 run and couldn't get a stop.  They must figure out how to play team defense consistently, instead of in spurts.   

Rebound -  The Celtics need to make an effort to crash the boards, especially on the offensive end.   The Clippers are capable of running on the break if the Celtics don't prevent it by keeping them from getting the rebounds.  Griffin is also very dangerous around the basket getting tip ins and second chance baskets. 

Ball Movement - The Celtics have to move the ball and look for the open man.  They have to play team ball.  They struggled to begin the Lakers game because they were playing too much hero ball. When the Celtics pass the ball and play team ball the offense runs smoothly.  But when they lapse into hero ball, they struggle to score. 

Bench Play
With the team playing in back to back games, and the starters playing big minutes the night before,  the bench is going to need to give the team a lift.  They have to give the starters some rest without giving up the quality of team's play. 

X-Factor
Fatigue
Both teams are playing in back to back games.  The Celtics had an early game while the Clippers played late.  The Celtics starters all put in big minutes against the Lakers.  The Clippers are a younger team and the Celtics age may catch up to them. 

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2012, 10:57:15 PM »

Offline CelticG1

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BEAT LA  :)

Doc said he was most worried about the 1st game and I guess he had reason to be. Let's get back to the winning said and get a W tomorrow.

Hopefully Rondo will continue to stroke those open looks

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2012, 10:10:02 AM »

Offline Q_FBE

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Have to keep fighting for the sake of good ole

BOSTON
CELTICS
PRIDE


Times are tough with lack of available manpower to rebound and stop inside games with any sort of consistancy. We are losing the war of attrition. The trading deadline hits Thursday and we might have to forfiet our game in Sacremento Friday if Danny presses the Control + ALT + Delete button.
The beatings will continue until morale improves

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (23-15) 3/12
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2012, 10:46:36 AM »

Offline ACF

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TP. Go Celtics!

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2012, 10:59:46 AM »

Offline jdz101

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Hopefully Rondo is amped for this one.

TP thread starter guy


how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck was chris bosh?

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2012, 11:27:56 AM »

Offline apc

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it’s going to be a Dunk fest.
Griffin and Jordan against our thin front, i can see a lot of highlights coming out of this game.

we can still win though...

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2012, 12:16:01 PM »

Offline BASS_THUMPER

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we should be ok as long as our team didnt hang out in LA

even tho it was a sunday nite it still be jumpin.

yesterday was fun to watch today will be jus as entertaining

i see a win for us

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2012, 01:01:33 PM »

Offline Employee8

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I'm going to suffer this week with the late games (waking up each morning at 6:30am for work).

Possibly the last 2 games we see the big 4 intact.  Let's enjoy this.

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2012, 01:15:21 PM »

Offline j804

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I smell a career night for Griffin
"7ft PG. Rondo leaves and GUESS WHAT? We got a BIGGER point guard!"-Tommy on Olynyk


Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2012, 08:11:22 PM »

Offline TenaciousD

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Fear it will be a replay of The Philadelphia Story. Seen that movie.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2012, 10:30:29 PM by TenaciousD »

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2012, 08:45:17 PM »

Offline thestackshow

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This game is going to be a horror show, as prideful as the Celtics are, they dont have a frontline at all, and little to no interior defense...Lob City will be in full effect tonight, expect to see 12+ highlight lobs and dunks, prepare yourselves, this aint gonna be pretty.

Ive already excepted the loss, but as a lightweight fan of the Clippers Ill still watch the game, but I just hope nobody on our team gets their careers ended by a Griffin poster.
[img width= height=]http://oi43.tinypic.com/2afde6p.jpg[/img]

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2012, 08:53:05 PM »

Offline ManUp

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Rondo is going to have to go off, because CP3 is going to go for the kill. Hopefully our legs aren't too shaky from last night.

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2012, 09:00:15 PM »

Offline Celtics4ever

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Maybe Rondo will go off and destroy Paul.  You never know.

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2012, 09:07:49 PM »

Offline LooseCannon

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I wouldn't be shocked if Boston pulls off the sort of win that maximizes Celtics fans' confusion over this team's abilities.

As a nationally televised game against an elite point guard, it is the sort of game that Rondo excels at, right?
"The worst thing that ever happened in sports was sports radio, and the internet is sports radio on steroids with lower IQs.” -- Brian Burke, former Toronto Maple Leafs senior adviser, at the 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Re: Celtics (21-19) at Clippers (13-15) 3/12
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2012, 09:24:50 PM »

Offline Eddie20

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I wish the Clippers indeed had a 13-15 record. That would be a great 1st rd pick to have.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2012, 09:51:57 PM by Eddie20 »