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Boston Celtics (19-18) at New York Knicks (19-20)
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #38 – Road Game #19
TV: CSNNE MSG, NBA-LP 754(DTV),753(xfinity)
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, ESPN NY 98.7
Madison Square Garden
Probable Starters 
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Kelly Olynyk
Celtics Reserves Evan Turner
Jonas Jerebko
Terry Rozier
James Young
Jordan Mickey
Tyler Zeller
David Lee
RJ Hunter
Jared Sullinger
InjuriesNone
Head CoachBrad Stevens
Probable Starters 
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Arron Afflalo
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Kristaps Porzingis
C: Robin Lopez
Knicks Reserves Kevin Seraphin
Langston Galloway
Jerian Grant
Lou Amundson
Sasha Vujacic
Derrick Williams
Lance Thomas
Injuries Cleanthony Early (knee) out
Head Coach Derek Fisher
Game Notes The Celtics complete their 3 game road trip as they visit the division rival New York Knicks. This is the second of 4 games between these two teams. The Celtics won the first meeting on December 27 at the TD Garden. They will play again on February 2 in Madison Square Garden and they will play the final game in Boston on March 4.
The Celtics won the series last season 3-1 and have won the last 4 meetings between these two teams. The Celtics have lost 5 of their last 6 games while the Knicks have won 4 of their last 5. The Celtics are 10-8 on the road while the Knicks are 10-8 at home. Both teams are 5-5 in their last 10 games.
The Celtics and Knicks have been going in opposite directions since they met in December. At that time, the Celtics were just 1 game behind the Raptors for the lead in the Atlantic division and the Knicks were 4.5 games behind the Celtics. The Celtics were on a 4 game win streak and the Knicks were on a 4 game losing streak.
Since that time, the Celtics have dropped to 9th in the Eastern Conference, half a game behind the Orlando Magic. The Knicks are 10th in the East and have climbed to within 1 game of the Celtics. The Celtics are on a 3 game losing streak while the Knicks are coming off a win over the Bucks on Sunday.
This is the first game of back to back games for the Celtics. They will return home for a tough matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. The Celtics are 3-5 on the first night of back to back games and they are 2-1 on the first night of Road/Home back to back games.
The Celtics are finally close to having everyone healthy. Avery Bradley returned from a hip injury on Sunday. He aggravated it slightly on Sunday against the Grizzlies but said that he plans to be in the lineup for this game. The Knicks are missing Cleanthony Early who is out with a knee injury.
Key Matchups vs
Jae Crowder vs Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony is the leader of the Knicks and is always a handful to defend. Jae Crowder will be tasked with trying to contain him in this game. In the first meeting between these two teams, Anthony finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds. He is averaging 21.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season.
vs
Amir Johnson vs Kristaps Porzingis
The Knicks 7'3" rookie is averaging 16.0 points, 12 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game and he has long since changed the boos he heard on draft night into cheers. His length makes him tough to handle and the Celtics will have their hands full, especially keeping him off the boards and away from the basket.
Honorable Mention Avery Bradley vs Arron Afflalo
Afflalo is averaging 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists and is capable of putting up big numbers if not defended well.
Keys to the Game
Defense - Playing tough team defense is the key to winning every game. The Celtics need to concentrate on getting stops and keeping the Knicks' offense off balance. The Knicks average just 98.2 points per game but they allow just 99.4 points per game. The Knicks have been locking down on defense in recent games, allowing just 95.2 points over their last 5 games. The Celtics need to play tough defense to limit the Knicks scoring and to match their defensive intensity.
Set the Pace - The Celtics need to run on every possession from start to finish. It seems that when they run they build leads and outplay the other team. When they slow it down, they fall behind and lose leads. They have to run and keep up the pace for the whole game and not just the first half.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics need to be the more aggressive team. They have to be more aggressive in going after loose balls, in grabbing rebounds, in defending, and in going to the basket. They have to be the team that wants it more. And they have to be more aggressive for the entire game, not just in spurts.
Rebound - Much of rebounding is effort and desire and when the Celtics put out the extra effort to win the battle of the boards, they seem to play better overall. They have to grab rebounds to keep the Knicks from getting out on the break and to keep them from getting second chance points.
Move the Ball - When the Celtics move the ball and find the open man, they play very well. When their assist total is high, they are tough to beat. When they start to play hero ball and stop moving the ball, they usually lose and look terrible while doing it. They need to play as a team with no hero ball.
Smart Offense - The Celtics need to move the ball and find the open man. They have to realize that if the 3's still aren't falling they need to take the ball inside. They can't take quick shots instead of finding the best shot. Play team ball and don't let up.
X-Factors Focus - The Celtics have lost 3 in a row. They know they need this game and if they come focused on the task at hand and stay focused from the opening tip until the final buzzer, they have a good chance to win this game.
Officiating -
The officiating is always an X-Factor. You never know if a crew will call the game tight or let them play and the team has to be able to adjust to any officiating style. And you never know when a ref will have an agenda and call it one sided for one of the teams. We can only hope for an evenly called game where they let them play.
Topic: Celtics (19-18) at Knicks (19-20) Game #38 1/12/16 (Read 35931 times)