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Boston Celtics (31-22) at Milwaukee Bucks (20-32)
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
8:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #54, Road Game #28
TV: CSN-NE, FSNWI, NBA-LP 752(DTV)/753(xfinity)
Radio: 100.7 WZLX, WTMJ 620AM, Sirius 213
BMO Harris Bradley Center
Probable StartersPG
SG
SF
PF
C
Isaiah Thomas...Avery Bradley...Jae Crowder...Amir Johnson...Jared Sullinger
Celtics ReservesEvan Turner
RJ Hunter
Jonas Jerebko
David Lee
Terry Rozier
James Young
Kelly Olynyk
Tyler Zeller
Marcus Smart
Head CoachBrad Stevens
InjuriesJordan Mickey (ankle) out
Probable Starters
PG
SG
SF
PF
C
Michael Carter-Williams...Khris Middleton...Giannis Antetokounmpo...Jabari Parker...Greg Monroe
Bucks Reserves Chris Copeland
Jerryd Bayless
Damien Inglis
Johnny O'Bryant
Miles Plumlee
Rashad Vaughn
OJ Mayo
Injuries Jerryd Bayless (knee) probable
OJ Mayo (hamstring) probable
John Henson (back) out
Greivis Vasquez (ankle) out
Head CoachJason Kidd
Game Notes The Celtics travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks for the second of 4 meetings this season. The Celtics won the first meeting in Milwaukee 99-83 in November. They will meet two more times in Boston on February 25 and April 8. The Celtics have won the last 2 games played in Milwaukee and 7 of the last 10 games there.
The Celtics have won 4 straight games and are looking for their second 5 game win streak of the season. The Bucks have lost their last 5 games. The Celtics are 9-1 in their last 10 while the Bucks are 3-7 in their last 10. The Bucks are a decent home team with a 13-8 record. The Celtics are 15-12 on the road.
The Bucks should be well rested since they last played on Friday in an 84-81 loss to the Jazz, which ended a 3 game road trip for them. The Celtics are coming off a 128-119 win over the Kings on Sunday afternoon. They are playing the front end of yet another back to back set, hosting the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The Celtics are 6-6 in the first of back to back games and 5-3 when the first game is on the road.
The Bucks have been dealing with some injuries but expect Jerryd Bayless (knee) and OJ Mayo (hamstring) back for this game. Both are listed as probable. John Henson (back) is doubtful to return while Greivis Vasquez (ankle) is out. Damien Inglis has been playing with the Bucks' D-League affiliate.
The Celtics are pretty much at full strength. Jae Crowder has been playing through assorted bumps and bruises and is expected to play in this game, especially since he will be returning to the court where he played his college ball for Marquette. He averaged 17.5 points and 8.4 rebounds his senior year when he was named Big East Player of the Year. He will probably still have more than a few fans in the stands.
The Bucks was one of the teams that was expected to make big strides and contend for the playoffs this season with their young and talented roster. For some reason, they have struggled thus far and are 13th in the East, 7 games out of playoff position. The Celtics are firmly in 3rd, 1 game ahead of Atlanta and 1.5 games ahead of Miami. They are 4.5 games behind the Raptors who are sitting in the second spot.
Key Matchups vs
Jae Crowder vs Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo, aka the Greek Freak, is like no other small forward in the league. He is 6'11" tall and very athletic. He is averaging 15.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game and will be a challenge for Jae to have to deal with on both ends of the court, especially if Jae is still dealing with the lingering injuries.
vs
Jared Sullinger vs Greg Monroe
Monroe was rumored to be considering the Celtics this summer but he instead chose the Bucks and is playing well for them. He is averaging 16.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 blocks. In the first meeting this season, Monroe led the Bucks in both points (17) and rebounds (14). Sully is coming off a strong game against DeMarcus Cousins and hopefully will build on that against Monroe, who can be a handful to defend.
Honorable MentionAvery Bradley vs Khris Middleton
Middleton is a candidate for most improved this season. He is averaging 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and is shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc. He has been invited to participate in the 3 point contest on All Star weekend. Avery will need to stay with him on defense, especially on the perimeter because if he is left open, he will make them pay.
Evan Turner vs Jerryd Bayless
Bayless seems to always have a big game against the Celtics, even before he played for the team. He is averaging 10.5 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds off the bench for Milwaukee but seems to give a little extra effort against the Celtics. Evan has been a strong presence off the bench for the Celtics and hopefully that will continue in this game.
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense is always a key to winning. The Celtics' tough defense has helped them on their recent hot streak. They let up against the Kings, allowing 119 points but they can't depend on scoring 128 points in many games and so they need to get back to what got them here, and that is tough team defense. The Bucks average 97.8 points and allow 102.9 while the Celtics average 105.0 points and allow 100.7. The Celtics are 23-2 when allowing 98 points or less so it's clear that defense needs to be their top priority. The Celtics especially need to defend the paint as the Bucks are 2nd in the league in scoring in the paint.
Run! - The Celtics are very effective when they run on every possession and run on defense as well. They need to run on offense to get easy shots before the defenses get set up. They also need to run on defense to get set up to prevent the Bucks from getting easy baskets. The Celtics have to utilize their depth by running the other team off the court.
Take Care of the Ball - The Bucks are very long and athletic. The Celtics need to make careful passes and take care not to allow the Bucks to force turnovers. This also includes hitting their shots and making the extra pass to find the open man. They can't play hero ball as that never ends well.
Rebound - The Celtics can't score if they don't have the ball. The Bucks are long and athletic and so the Celtics are going to have to work to win the battle of the boards. It takes effort to rebound and when the Celtics put out that extra effort to get rebounds, it usually translates to other areas of their game.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics have to be the more aggressive team from start to finish. They have to be aggressive in going after loose balls and on defense and going to the basket and grabbing rebounds. The more aggressive team usually gets the benefit of the calls also. They need to be the team that wants it more for all 48 minutes. No let up.
X-Factors On the Road - The Celtics are on the road once again. They have have played well enough on the road to have a 15-12 record. They need to focus on getting the win and playing as a team and block out all of the distractions that come with playing in a hostile environment.
Officiating - The officiating is always an x-factor. Whether because of the tendencies of individual refs, or an agenda on behalf of the refs or the league, each game is officiated differently and that can favor or throw a team off on any given night. The Celtics have to be able to shake off bad calls and just play their game.
Topic: Celtics (31-22) at Bucks (20-32) Game #54 2/9/16 (Read 32066 times)