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Brooklyn Nets (2-3) at Boston Celtics (3-1)
Monday, October 19, 2015
7:30 pm ET
TV: CSNNE, NBA-LP 752(xfinity)/751(DTV)
TD Garden 
Possible Starters
PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Evan Turner
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Tyler Zeller
Probable ReservesCoty Clarke
Jae Crowder
RJ Hunter
Jonas Jerebko
Jared Sullinger
Perry Jones III
Jordan Mickey
Malcolm Miller
Kelly Olynyk
Levi Randolph
Terry Rozier
Isaiah Thomas
Corey Watson
James Young
Head CoachBrad Stevens
InjuriesDavid Lee (illness) questionable
Players to Watch 
Time is running out for
Perry Jones to prove he belongs on the team. He is coming off of a DNP-CD in the last game and if he is going to show the Celtics that he shouldn't be the player who is cut, he has to do it now. He is an intriguing player, athletic and able to defend multiple positions
Jared Sullinger has been the 5th big off the bench with limited playing time so far this preseason. He hasn't been turning heads so far either. With David Lee sick and Amir Johnson having great chemistry with Isaiah Thomas, Jared may get the chance to start but since Johnson was able to handle Lopez so well in their last meeting, maybe not.
Marcus Smart and
Terry Rozier both were out most of last week with the illness that has gone through the team. Brad Stevens has said that he wants to give both plenty of playing time to get back into game shape.
Possible StartersPG: Jarrett Jack
SG: Wayne Ellington
SF: Joe Johnson
PF Thaddeus Young
C Brook Lopez
Probable ReservesAndrea Bargnani
Ryan Boatright
Markel Brown
Chris Daniels
Justin Harper
Rondae Hollis Jefferson
Dahntay Jones
Sergey Karasev
Shane Larkin
Chris McCullough
Quincy Miller
Thomas Robinson
Donald Sloan
Head CoachLionel Hollins
InjuriesAndrea Bargnani (hamstring) day to day
Willie Reed (thumb) out
Players to Watch
Brook Lopez is coming off of his best game of the preseason with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Amir Johnson was able to contain him quite well in their first meeting. Hopefully the Celtics can once again keep him from having a big game.
Jarrett Jack has had some big games against the Celtics in the past. In their first meeting this preseason, Jack got very frustrated with the Celtics defense and was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul. It will be interesting to see how he bounces back from that game.
Thaddeus Young is coming off a double double in his last game with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He had 19 points and 8 rebounds in the last game vs the Celtics.
Game Notes The Celtics take to their home court for the first time this preseason as they host the Brooklyn Nets. They are looking to bounce back from their first loss of the preseason and to win their second game of the preseason against the Nets.
The Celtics have been off since their Friday loss to the Knicls while the Nets are playing on the second night of a back to back set. The Nets won their second game of the preseason as they narrowly edged the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night.
David Lee missed Sunday's practice with the illness that has been going through the Celtics since they played in Spain. Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier returned to practice and are expected to play in this game after missing all of last week.
The Nets have pretty much stuck with the same starting lineup throughout the preseason and I expect they will keep the same lineup for this game. The Celtics have experimented with different lineups and so it's not certain who will start in this game, especially with Lee under the weather.
He could start Amir Johnson, who played so well against Lopez in their last meeting. But Johnson and Isaiah Thomas have great chemistry and I would think that Brad would want to give them more time together. Perhaps Sully will get a chance to start after falling out of favor to begin the preseason. Stevens has said that he will be resting some players while giving others more playing time so it's hard to guess what the rotation will be.
Keys to the GameDefense - The Celtics are building their identity on their defense this season. However, they seemed to slack off against the Knicks. They need to continue to build a tough and swarming defense. Defense will be even more important as they get into the regular season.
Take Care of the Ball - The Celtics turned the ball over 18 times against the Knicks. They need to make crisp passes and take better care of the basketball. They were too sloppy against the Knicks and need to be sharper in this game.
Run, Run, Run! - The Celtics need to use their depth to their advantage and run on every possession. They have the young legs and the players to run the Nets out of the gym.
Rebound - The Celtics need to box out and be more effective on the boards. In their first game against the Nets, they were out-rebounded 44-40. Against the Knicks, they were out-rebounded on the offensive end 18-11. The Celtics have got to crash the boards and beat the Nets to the rebounds.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics allowed the Knicks to out-play them in their last game. They have to get back to being the more aggressive team and beat the Nets to loose balls and rebounds and be the more aggressive on defense and in going to the basket.
X-Factors Revenge Factor - Will the Nets be out to avenge their loss in the first game against the Celtics? That may just give them the edge they need to be the team that plays harder.
Bounce Back - The Celtics are coming off of their first loss of the preseason and there were plenty of reasons that they lost. If they can correct those mistakes and get back to hustling on offense and swarming on defense, they should be able to get another win in this game.
Experimenting - The preseason is a time that most coaches use to experiment with lineups and combinations as well as to look at players who may or may not make the team. It's possible we won't see the best lineups for either side and that could make a difference in the outcome.
Home Game - The Celtics are playing at home for the first time this preseason. The crowd should be excited and should give the team a boost as they play for their home fans for the first time.
Topic: Nets (2-3) at Celtics (3-1) - Preseason Game #5 10/19/15 (Read 25321 times)