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Washington Wizards (11-13) at Boston Celtics (12-15)
Saturday, December 21,2013
1:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #28 Home Game #15
TV: CSN-NE, Comcast Sportsnet,NBA-LP754(DTV) /752,754(xfinity)
Radio: WBZ, WFED AM
TD GardenProbable Starters PG: Jordan Crawford
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jeff Green
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Jared Sullinger
Celtics ReservesMarShon Brooks
Kelly Olynyk
Kris Humphries
Vitor Faverani
Phil Pressey
Courtney Lee
Keith Bogans
Gerald Wallace
InjuriesRajon Rondo (ACL)out
Probable Starters PG: John Wall
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: Trevor Ariza
PF: Trevor Booker
C: Marcin Gortat
Wizards ReservesNene
Martell Webster
Garrett Temple
Kevin Seraphin
Otto Porter
Eric Maynor
Chris Singleton
Jan Vesely
Injuries
Al Harrington (knee) out
Glen Rice, Jr (wrist) out
Game Notes The Wizards visit the Garden for the first of 4 meetings this season. The Celtics swept the series last season 3-0. The Wizards are 5-5 in their last 10 and 5-8 on the road while the Celtics are 6-4 in their last 10 games and 7-7 at home.
The Wizards have won their last 2 games, both on the road and are looking for their 3rd straight road win for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The Celtics are looking to get back on track after losing a close one to Detroit. Both teams last played on Wednesday and should come into this game rested.
The Celtics have dominated the Wizards in recent years, winning seven straight meetings overall and nine of 10 at home. The Wizards are getting healthy and are playing well. The Celtics are finally past the trade rumors, for now anyway, and their concentration can be on the game at hand.
The Celtics are in the 4th spot in the East by virtue of leading the woeful Atlantic Division. The Wizards are in the 7th spot.
Key Matchups vs
Jordan Crawford vs John Wall
Wall is playing very well, averaging 19.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists. Crawford will need to slow him down and also make him work on the defensive end. I expect Crawford to be extra motivated to beat his former team.
vs
Avery Bradley vs Bradley Beal
Avery will have his hands full with Beal, who is averaging 20.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Keys to the GamePlay 48 Minutes - The Celtics have been getting off to fast starts and have closed strong but have let up in the middle. They need to play hard for 48 minutes and avoid the slumps.
Defense - The Celtics need to especially defend the 3 point line. Washington is one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, making 39.3 percent of its attempts. But they can't ignore the paint either as Gortat, and Nene can go strong to the basket as can Wall.
Take Care of the Ball - The Celtics committed 18 turnovers in their last game which led to 30 points for the Pistons. They seem to go through periods when they lose their focus and commit multiple turnovers. They need to stay focused and avoid those lapses.
Move the Ball - The Celtics play their best when they move the ball and find the open man. They play their worst when they over dribble and each player tries to do too much. They need to keep the ball moving, including getting up the floor quickly before the defense gets set.