Author Topic: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18  (Read 24704 times)

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Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« on: December 08, 2018, 02:51:17 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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Boston Celtics (14-10) at Chicago Bulls (6-20)
Saturday, December 8, 2018
8:00 PM EST
Regular Season Game #25, Road Game #15
TV: NBATV, NBCSB, NBCSCH, NBA-LP 754 (DTV)/756 (xfinity)
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub,  WSCR AM 670
United Center



Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard

vs
Kyrie Irving vs Ryan Arcidiacono

Shooting Guard

vs
Marcus Smart vs Zach LaVine

Small Forward
vs
Jayson Tatum vs Justin Holiday

Power Forward
vs
Marcus Morris vs Lauri Markkanen

Center
vs
Al Horford vs Wendall Carter, Jr


Reserves
Terry Rozier
Jaylen Brown
Gordon Hayward
Daniel Theis
Semi Ojeleye
Guerschon Yabusele
Brad Wanamaker
Robert Williams

Injuries

Jabari Bird
Aron Baynes
Al Horford (questionable)

Two Way Players
P. J. Dozier

Head Coach
Brad Stevens




Reserves
Christiano Felicio
Antonio Blakeney
Cameron Payne
Shaquille Harrison
Chandler Hutchinson
Robin Lopez
Jabari Parker

Injuries
Denzel Valentine
Bobby Portis (questionable)

Two Way Players
Rawle Altkins
Tyler Ullis

Head Coach
Jim Boylen

Game Notes

The Celtics travel to Chicago to take on the Bulls for the second time this season. In the first matchup of these two teams, Boston blew out Chicago after a slow first period and ran away to a 111-82 win. Just about every played and played well for Brad Steven's bunch, but were led by Kyrie Irving(17 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown who had a rare good early season game with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists on 8-14 shooting.

Lots have changed for both teams since their last meeting at the TD Garden. Chicago fired head coach Fred Hoiberg and has replaced him on Sunday and replaced him permanently with assistant head coach, Jim Boylen. The Bulls are 1-1 under Boylen including an impressive 114-112 win last night against Oklahoma City in the first game of a home back to back for Chicago. The Bulls have also seen the return of sensational, 2nd year big man, Lauri Markkanen after Markkenen missed the Bulls first 23 games. Makkanen has been  great since his return 3 games ago averaging 18.3 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and one block per game.

Boston has also had a bunch of changes since these two teams last met. After much experimenting with the starting lineup, Coach Steven's looks to have settled on the current Irving, Smart, Tatum, Morris and Horford starting crew and have moved Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown to the bench.The results have been fantastic as the starters have messed well and have been avoiding the slow starts that plagued the team to start the year. It has also allowed Hayward to rebuild his game as strictly a ball handler off the bench that also has the freedom to shoot when he is open or feeling it. In Brown's first game off the bench since returning from injury, he scored 21 points.

Chicago is still very much the same team they were a month ago: they when a lot of individual iso offensive, they don't pass a lot to set up scores, they turn the ball over a lot, they don't shoot a lot of 3 pointers, probably because they don't hit them at a very high rate. Chicago has the worst offense in the league, the 10th worst defense in the league and are the 3rd worst rebounding team in the NBA..... not a good combo. The Bulls score most of their points in the mid range game and if you can contain that game, the Bulls are easy to beat.

Of course, for Chicago to win, they will need to rely heavily on their big men inside and scoring from Zach Lavine(having an All-Star worthy year with per game numbers of 24.5 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists), the aforementioned Markkanen and Jabari Parker. Boston has been weak on the pick and roll with large men running to the rim for much of this year. If Porter plays he, Markkanen, Robin Lopez and Wendell Carter, Jr. could cause major problems for the Celtics inside.

With Marcus Smart pairing with Kyrie Irving the Celtics should have a the advantage in the backcourt with Smart on Lavine and Irving taking on Arcidiacono. Also, I see no reason for Jayson Tatum to not put up big numbers on Justin Holiday or for Hayward, Rozier and Brown, the newest iteration of the BWA to exploded against, with the exception of Parker, a pretty poor Bulls' bench. Chicago is 1-4 on the 2nd game of back to backs and Boston has won four games in a row. Here's hoping for number 5.


« Last Edit: December 08, 2018, 04:17:36 PM by nickagneta »

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2018, 04:25:13 PM »

Offline Hank Finkel

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Let’s get 5 in row......Go Celtics !!!!!

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2018, 04:27:16 PM »

Offline Eddie20

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Williams is out too, fyi.

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2018, 04:28:24 PM »

Offline CelticSooner

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I don’t get the feeling this one will be as easy as last time.

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2018, 04:34:13 PM »

Offline hpantazo

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I don’t get the feeling this one will be as easy as last time.

Yeah, no Al, no Baynes, plus Markannen is back for the Bulls.

Morris and Theis have to bring it tonight.

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2018, 05:16:04 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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Williams is out too, fyi.
I have found nothing to confirm this. If you mean he is in Maine, I never take that into consideration

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2018, 05:17:02 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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TP to Hank Finkel for being the first to post in the game thread.

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2018, 05:20:40 PM »

Offline smokeablount

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I don’t get the feeling this one will be as easy as last time.

Yeah, no Al, no Baynes, plus Markannen is back for the Bulls.

Morris and Theis have to bring it tonight.

No Al? It’s confirmed?
2023 Non-Active / Non-NBA75 Fantasy Draft, ChiBulls:

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SG: David Thompson 77-78 / Hersey Hawkins 96-97
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Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2018, 05:23:43 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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I don’t get the feeling this one will be as easy as last time.

Yeah, no Al, no Baynes, plus Markannen is back for the Bulls.

Morris and Theis have to bring it tonight.

No Al? It’s confirmed?
On ten different sites, all I could confirm we're Bird and Baynes out and Horford questionable.

I don"t do Twitter so maybe there is an update there.

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2018, 05:26:15 PM »

Offline Eddie20

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I don’t get the feeling this one will be as easy as last time.

Yeah, no Al, no Baynes, plus Markannen is back for the Bulls.

Morris and Theis have to bring it tonight.

No Al? It’s confirmed?
On ten different sites, all I could confirm we're Bird and Baynes out and Horford questionable.

I don"t do Twitter so maybe there is an update there.

Still questionable. We likely won’t get an update until he warms up.

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2018, 05:46:55 PM »

Offline footey

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Williams just had a baby girl. Was excused from last game. Don’t know about tonight.

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #11 on: December 08, 2018, 06:08:51 PM »

Offline hpantazo

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Williams just had a baby girl. Was excused from last game. Don’t know about tonight.

You mean his significant other had a baby girl? Because if Williams himself gave birth, then he's gonna be excused for a looooong time!

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #12 on: December 08, 2018, 06:28:17 PM »

Offline RodyTur10

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No small ball please. I don't want to see Morris at center. Carter is a very fine young big who needs to be respected. Neither do I want to see Robin Lopez dominating on the boards like I've seen too many times against us.

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #13 on: December 08, 2018, 06:29:56 PM »

Offline Surferdad

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No small ball please. I don't want to see Morris at center. Carter is a very fine young big who needs to be respected. Neither do I want to see Robin Lopez dominating on the boards like I've seen too many times against us.
May be no choice with all these front court guys out.

Re: Celtics (14-10) at Bulls (6-20) Game #25 12/8/18
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2018, 06:32:51 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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If C's win tonight they will be only 4 games out of first place in the loss column while having played only 10 games at home. The amount of home games all the other teams have played that are in playoff contention

1 Toronto 14 games
2 Philly 14 games
3 Milwaukee 15 games
4 Indiana 11 games
5 Boston 10 games
6 Detroit 14 games
7 Charlotte 14 games
8 Orlando 14 games
9 Washington 12 games
10 Miami 14 games