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Cleveland Cavaliers (10-18) at Boston Celtics (12-17)
Saturday, December 28, 2013
1:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #30, Home Game #16
TV: CSN-NE, FSOhio, NBA-LP 751(DTV)/751,752(xfinity)
Radio: WBZ, WTAM
TD GardenProbable Starters Jordan Crawford...Avery Bradley...Jeff Green...Brandon Bass...Jared Sullinger
Celtics ReservesMarShon Brooks
Kris Humphries
Vitor Faverani
Courtney Lee
Phil Pressey
Gerald Wallace
Keith Bogans
Kelly Olynyk
InjuriesRajon Rondo (ACL)out
Jared Sullinger (hand) probable
Avery Bradley (knee) probable
Gerald Wallace (knee) probable
Probable Starters Kyrie Irving...CJ Miles...Alonzo Gee...Tristan Thompson... Andrew Bynum
Cavaliers ReservesJarrett Jack
Anderson Varejao
Dion Waiters
Earl Clark
Sergey Karasev
Anthony Bennett
Carrick Felix
Tyler Zeller
Henry Sims
Matthew Dellavedova
Injuries
Carrick Felix (hernia) out
Key Matchups vs
Jordan Crawford vs Kyrie Irving
Irving has been a thorn in the Celtics side since he came into the league. He is averaging 22.1 points, 6.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.0 rebounds. Expect to see Avery guarding Irving while Crawford picks up CJ Miles. Jordan Crawford's triple double (11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists) was a big reason for the Celtics win in their first meeting. The Celtics will need another strong performance from him in this game.
vs
Jared Sullinger vs Andrew Bynum
Bynum missed all of last year with various and sundry injuries, including one that he suffered while bowling. He is averaging 8.4 points, 1.2 blocks, and 5.3 rebounds this season and isn't the dominant player that he was before the injuries. He does have a height advantage on Sully that may give him an advantage. Anderson Varejao is playing more minutes at center than Bynum even though he comes off the bench and may be an even tougher matchup for the Celtics at this position.
Honorable MentionCeltics Bench vs Cavaliers Bench
The Cavs have the highest scoring bench in the Eastern Conference at 40.0 points per game (4th-best in the NBA) and has outscored the opponent’s reserves in 21 of 27 contests. In the first meeting between these two teams, the Celtics bench was outscored 56-16. The Celtics will need a strong game from their reserves if they want to get a win in this game.
Game Notes After a 5 day break, the Celtics host the Cavaliers in the 2nd of 3 meetings this season. The Celtics won the first meeting 103-86, which was also played in Boston. The 3rd and final meeting between these two teams will be on April 12 in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers would be out of the playoffs if they started today. The Celtics have dropped to 8th place, half a game behind the Raptors, who have moved up to 4th by virtue of leading the Atlantic division.
The Cavaliers are mostly healthy as are the Celtics. There are a couple of concerns for the Celtics, though. Jared Sullinger wore a glove in practice on Thursday and admitted to having a deep bone bruise in his hand that has been slow to heal. Avery Bradley and Gerald Wallace bumped knees in practice and sat out the final portion. All 3 are expected to play, however.
The Cavs last played on Thursday, losing a tough double overtime game to the Hawks by 2 points. The Celtics last played almost a week ago on Sunday, losing in a blowout to the Indiana Pacers.
Both teams have lost their last 3 games and will be looking to get off of the slide. The Celtics are 5-5 in their last 10 games and are 7-8 at home. The Cavs are 4-6 in their last 10 games and a woeful 2-12 at home.
Keys to the gameTake Care of the Ball - The Celtics have been getting off to a fast start and then seem to get careless and have a series of turnovers and allow the opponent to get back into the game. They need to take care of the ball and try to limit those turnovers if they want to get a win.
Move the Ball and Run - The Celtics play best when they play uptempo and move the ball. They need to beat the defense down the court before it gets set up. When they slow the ball down and when they over dribble, they struggle to score. They also need to trust each other and move the ball and not try to do too much individually.
Start Strong and Finish Stronger - The Celtics have been coming out strong in the first quarters and establishing a lead. However, they have also been slowing down, mostly in the 3rd quarter and then fall behind. They also need to play hard until the final buzzer.
Go to the Hoop - The Celtics get very comfortable taking outside shots, especially when they are falling for them early and then stop trying to get to the basket. They need to get inside and either draw the foul, get an easy score, or kick out to the open man. Good things happen when they go to the hoop.
Rebound - The Celtics need to rebound as a team. It takes effort and desire to grab rebounds and the Celtics need to show more of both. In their first meeting, the Celtics allowed the Cavs to grab 13 offensive rebounds which led to a 16-7 edge in second chance points for the Cavs.
X-Factors
Rust vs Rest and Home Game The Celtics have been off 5 days while there is just one day since the Cavs played a tough double OT game. The Celtics were able to get plenty of rest and go home for Christmas and also have had 2 days of practice leading up to this game. Will the rest have them energized and ready to play or will they come out rusty.
The Cavs have been pretty bad on the road so far, winning just 2 games away from home, beating only Orlando and Washington. Hopefully, the Celtics can continue that trend and keep them struggling on the road in this game in front of one of the best crowds in the league.