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Boston Celtics (10-17) at Wizards (20-8)
Regular Season Game #28, Road Game #12
Saturday, December 27, 2014
7:00 PM ET
TV: CSN-NE, Comcast Sportsnet, NBA-LP 753(DTV)/751(Xfinity)
Radio: 100.7 WZLX, WNEW 99.1 FM
Verizon Center
Probable Starters 
PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jeff Green
PF: Jared Sullinger
C: Tyler Zeller
Celtics ReservesPhil Pressey
Evan Turner
Brandon Bass
Kelly Olynyk
Gerald Wallace
Jameer Nelson
Jae Crowder
Brandan Wright
InjuriesMarcus Thornton (calf) out
James Young (shoulder) day to day
Probable Starters 
PG: John Wall
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Nene
C: Marcin Gortat
Wizards Reserves Rasual Butler
Otto Porter
Kris Humphries
Kevin Seraphin
Andre Miller
DeJuan Blair
Garrett Temple
Drew Gooden
Glen Rice Jr
Injuries Martell Webster (back) out
Game Notes The Celtics will face Paul Pierce and the Washington Wizards for the 3rd and final time this season. They have split the series 1-1 so far, playing a back to back home and home set. The Celtics won 101-93 in Boston while the Wizards won a wild double OT game 133-132 in Washington.
The Celtics are 3-8 on the road while the Wizards are 13-4 at home. The Celtics are on a 3 game losing streak and are coming off a loss to former Celtic Kevin Garnett and the Nets. The Wizards are coming off a win over the Knicks on Christmas Day and looking for their second straight win. The Celtics have lost 6 of their last 7 games on the road, with their only win coming against the league worst Sixers.
Marcus Smart had a career high 23 points in his last game against the Nets as he led a 4th quarter comeback, keeping Rajon Rondo on the bench through the 4th quarter and two overtimes. He was back in the starting lineup for the Celtics loss to the Nets and I expect him to get another start in this one.
Key Matchups vs
Marcus Smart vs John Wall
Wall averaged 21.5 points and 15.5 assists in the two games against the Celtics this season. He will no longer have Rondo to deal with but perhaps having Marcus Smart guarding him may be even tougher.
vs
Jeff Green vs Paul Pierce
Pierce averaged 22 points on 68% shooting in the two games this season. He always plays well vs the Celtics and Green once again will be called on to slow Pierce while also making him work on the defensive end by hitting his shots.
Keys to the GameDefense - The Celtics need to especially defend the 3 point line, an area that they have struggled this season. Washington is the best 3 point shooting team in the league, hitting 39% from beyond the arc. But they also have to guard the paint where Gortat and Nene are both very tough.
Pace and Space - 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. The Celtics are playing back to back and so energy may be a factor at the end of the game.
Rebound - The Celtics must crash the boards and put out extra effort to grab rebounds to keep the Wizards from getting second chance baskets and fast breaks. They have to rebound as a team and each player needs to work hard on the boards.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics must be the more aggressive team in going to the basket, in diving for loose balls, in grabbing rebounds and just in playing harder for 48 minutes. They have to be the team that wants it more and plays harder.
X-Factors
Road and Back to BackThe Celtics are on the road where they have tended to struggle this season. They need to focus and play hard in spite of the hostile environment. They are also playing in the second of back to back games and hopefully their depth will help them have energy left at the end.
Topic: Celtics (10-17) at Wizards (20-8) Game #28 12/27/14 (Read 67575 times)