at
Phoenix Suns (13-27) at Boston Celtics (20-19)
Friday, January 15, 2016
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #40, Home Game #21
TV: CSN-NE,FSAZ, NBA-LP 753(DTV); 752(Xfinity)
Radio: WZLX 100.7, ESPN 620 AM
TD Garden
Probable Starters
PG Isaiah Thomas....... SG: Avery Bradley
C: Jared Sullinger
SF: Jae Crowder....... PF: Amir Johnson
Celtics ReservesEvan Turner
RJ Hunter
Jonas Jerebko
David Lee
Jordan Mickey
Terry Rozier
James Young
Tyler Zeller
Kelly Olynyk
Marcus Smart
Head CoachBrad Stevens
InjuriesNone
Probable Starters 
PG: Brandon Knight .......... SG: Devin Booker
C: Tyson Chandler
SF: PJ Tucker ........... PF: John Leuer
Suns Reserves Lorenzo Brown
Markieff Morris
Mirza Teletovic
TJ Warren
Sonny Weems
Injuries Brandon Knight (food poisoning) probable
Alex Len (hand) out
Ronnie Price (foot) out
Eric Bledsoe (knee) out
Head Coach Jeff Hornacek
Game Notes Celtics will play their second game at home before heading out on the road for another 3 game road trip. The Celtics host the injury riddled Suns for just the second time since the trade that brought Isaiah Thomas to Boston. They split the season series 1-1 last season with each winning on the others' court.
Three days after the trade last season that brought Isaiah to Boston, the Celtics played the Suns in Phoenix and Isaiah led the them to a 115-110 victory with 21 points and 7 assists. Eight of his points came in the final minute and 37 seconds. The Celtics are playing in the first of back to back games and will play in Washington on Saturday night.
The Celtics snapped a 4 game losing streak with a win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. The Suns also played their last game against the Pacers, losing 116-97. The Suns have lost their only 3 road games this month by an average of 20.6 points to Sacramento, LA Lakers and Indiana.
The Celtics are finally healthy for the most part with just a few minor bumps and bruises. Marcus Smart is still working his way back from injury as is Avery Bradley but both will play. The Suns are struggling with injuries to Eric Bledsoe, Alex Len, and Ronnie Price, who are all out. Brandon Knight missed the game vs the Pacers with food poisoning but is expected to play in this game.
Key Matchups vs
Isaiah Thomas vs Brandon Knight
Knight is averaging 19.7 points, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals. He is coming off a case of food poisoning but should be fine for this game. Isaiah is on a tear, averaging 32.3 points in his last 3 games and will be motivated to beat his former team.
vs
Jared Sullinger vs Tyson Chandler
Chandler is averaging just 5.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game. He is capable of having a big game if the Celtics don't keep him out of the paint.
Keys to the Game Play 48 Minutes - The Celtics need to keep their focus and intensity for 48 minutes. Against some teams they have gotten off to a fast start only to collapse at the end. Some games they have fallen behind and then mount a comeback in the second half only to fall short. They have to play hard and stay focused from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
Run, Run, Run! - The Suns are short handed and the Celtics can use their depth to keep the Suns running and tire them out by the end of the game. The Celtics play best when they run and set the pace. When they start to walk the ball up and not run back on defense, they struggle.
Defense - Defense is always a key to winning. The Celtics amped up their defense against the Pacers and it led to a win. They need to continue to make defense a priority if they want to continue to win. You can't win without defense.
Rebound - The Celtics need to rebound on the offensive end to give themselves extra possessions and to prevent the Suns from racking up fast break points. They also have to crash the boards on the defensive end to prevent the Suns from getting tip ins and second chance points which Chandler is very good at doing.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics have to be the more aggressive team in going after loose balls and rebounds, in defending, in going to the basket. They tend to back off and be less aggressive when they face teams that are missing players or teams they expect to beat easily and they end up losing. They can't let the fact that Phoenix is short handed keep them from being aggressive.
X-Factors Isaiah Factor - Although Isaiah said there were no bad feelings after the trade, every player wants to get a win over their former team. Hopefully he won't try too hard and lapse into hero ball. He needs to play within the team concept and not worry about showing the Suns what they are missing.
Depleted Team Factor - Too often when the Celtics face a weaker team or a team that is missing key players they come out flat and fail to play with energy. We have seen this against the Lakers, and the Nets and other teams that were less than full strength. They have to play just as hard against the Suns as they would the Warriors.
Officiating Factor - As I have said every game, officiating is always an x-factor. Will the refs let them play or call every little ticky tack foul? Will they call it even or favor one of the teams? Will they even be competent in making the calls? The officiating is always like Forrest Gump's box of candy. You never know what you are going to get.
Topic: Suns (13-27) at Celtics (20-19) Game #40 1/15/16 (Read 26789 times)