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Boston Celtics (27-22) at New York Knicks (23-27)
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #50 – Road Game #26
TV: CSNNE MSG, NBA-LP 750(DTV),752(xfinity)
Radio: WZLX, ESPN NY 98.7
Madison Square Garden
Probable Starters 
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Jared Sullinger
Celtics Reserves Evan Turner
Jonas Jerebko
Terry Rozier
James Young
Jordan Mickey
Tyler Zeller
David Lee
RJ Hunter
Kelly Olynyk
InjuriesJae Crowder (shin/calf) questionable
Head CoachBrad Stevens
Probable Starters 
PG: Langston Galloway
SG: Arron Afflalo
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Kristaps Porzingis
C: Robin Lopez
Knicks Reserves Kevin Seraphin
Jerian Grant
Lou Amundson
Sasha Vujacic
Derrick Williams
Lance Thomas
Injuries Cleanthony Early (knee) out
Jose Calderon (groin) questionable
Head Coach Derek Fisher
Game Notes The Celtics play their second straight on the road as they visit the division rival New York Knicks. This is the third of 4 games between these two teams this season. The series is tied 1-1 with each team winning on their home court. The Celtics won the series 3-1 last season. They will play one more game on March 4.
The Celtics have won 5 of their last 6 games after having their 5 game win streak snapped by the Magic. The Knicks lost 5 of their last 6. The Celtics are 7-3 in their last 10 games while the Knicks are 3-7 in their last 10 The Celtics are 13-12 on the road while the Knicks are 14-11 at home. Both teams are coming off a loss, looking to begin a new win streak.
Jae Crowder injured his shin or calf in the game vs the Magic and he sat out practice on Monday. His status for this game is questionable and he will probably be a game time decision. If he can't play, Evan Turner may get the nod to start at the three. We may see more of James Young and RJ Hunter as well.
Jose Calderon has missed the last 3 games with a groin injury and Langston Galloway has gotten the start in his absence. Calderon is questionable and will also probably be a game time decision. Cleanthony Early 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. In the first meeting between these two teams, Anthony finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds. In the second meeting he played just 17 minutes before leaving with a sprained ankle. He is averaging 21.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game this season. The Celtics need a healthy Jae Crowder to defend him. If Jae is out, it will fall to Marcus Smart and Evan Turner to try to slow him down.
vs
Amir Johnson vs Kristaps Porzingis
The Knicks 7'3" rookie is averaging 13.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 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. In the Knicks win over the Celtics in their last game Porzingis finished with 26 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 27 minutes before fouling out. It will be important to keep him from having another big game.
Honorable Mention Avery Bradley vs Arron Afflalo
Afflalo is averaging 14.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists and is capable of putting up big numbers if not defended well. He put up 24 points in the last meeting between these two teams, 20 of those were in the second half.
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 99.5 points per game but they allow 100.9 points per game. In the last game between these two teams, a Knicks win, the Celtics allowed the Knicks to shoot 53% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to play tough defense to limit the Knicks scoring if they want to win this one.
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 the first half and 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 can't fall in love with three pointers. Against the Magic in the last game they shot the 3 very well at first and then they stopped falling. The Celtics fell behind after shooting and missing 5 three pointers early in the shot clock. They stopped sharing the ball and stopped getting into the paint and kept chucking from beyond the arc. They can't take quick shots instead of finding the best shot. Play team ball and if the 3's aren't falling, take it into the paint.
X-Factors
Revenge Factor - The Celtics will be looking to bounce back from their poor performance in their loss to the Magic. They will also be looking to avenge the loss to the Knicks in their last meeting. Can they bounce back and get the win?
Road Factor - The Celtics are on the road for the second straight game. Can they overcome the distractions of playing on the road and focus enough to get a win in this game?
Officiating Factor - 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 (27-22) at Knicks (23-27) Game #50 2/2/16 (Read 25505 times)