Author Topic: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23  (Read 52391 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« on: March 22, 2009, 08:41:46 PM »

Offline FLCeltsFan

  • Kendrick Perkins #1 Fan
  • Author
  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5280
  • Tommy Points: 11832
  • Marcus Smart Fan!
  at 
Los Angeles Clippers (17-52)  at  Boston Celtics (53-18)Monday, March 23
7:30 PM ET
Game # 72, Home Game #35
TV:  CSN HD, FSN Prime Ticket, NBA LP 753
TD Banknorth Garden



Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs 
Rajon Rondo vs Baron Davis 

Shooting Guard
  vs 
Ray Allen vs Eric Gordon

Small Forward
  vs 
Paul Pierce vs  Fred Jones

Power Forward
vs
Kevin Garnett vs Zach Randolph 

Center
vs
Kendrick Perkins vs Chris Kaman




Reserves
Glen Davis
Eddie House
Gabe Pruitt
Bill Walker
Stephon Marbury
Mikki Moore

Injuries:
Tony Allen (thumb) out
Brian Scalabrine (head) out
Leon Powe (knee)  out


Reserves
Fred Jones
Mardy Collins
Mike Taylor
Alex Acker
Marcus Camby
DeAndre Jordan
Ricky Davis
Brian Skinner
Steve Novak

Injuries
Ricky Davis (knee) day to day
Al Thornton (shoulder)  day to day 

Key Matchups
  vs 
Rajon Rondo vs Baron Davis
As goes Rondo so go the Celtics. Once again, Rondo is matched up with a very tough veteran PG in Baron Davis.  Rondo should use his speed to get the better of this matchup.     

vs
Kevin Garnett vs Zach Randolph   
Doc has said that KG would be increasing his minutes somewhat in this game.  Zach Randolph is a big physical player and I expect to see Perk matched up with him on most plays and KG defending Chris Kaman.  In the first meeting between these two teams without KG, Randolph finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds.   

Team Connections
Baron Davis and Paul Pierce co-host a charity event each summer
Eddie House played for the Clippers in 03-04
Doc Rivers played for the Clippers 91-92
Marcus Camby played for Tom Thibodeau in New York from 98-02
Jason Hart and Eddie House were teammates in Charlotte 03-04
Ricky Davis played for the Celtics 03-06
Celtics assistant coach Armond Hill played for the Clippers 81-82
Brian Scalabrine, Gabe Pruitt and Paul Pierce are all from the LA area
Marcus Camby is from Hartford and played at UMass

Game Notes
This is the second and final meeting between these two teams on the opposite end of the standings.  In the first meeting, the Clippers upset the Celtics with a 93-91 win.   There was no KG in that game and it was Mikki Moore's debut in which he scored 4 points, pulled down 1 rebound and had 2 assists.   The Clippers dominated the Celtics in the paint in that game with a 56-22 advantage. 

The Clippers are just 7-26 on the road and the Celtics are 28-6 at home.  The Celtics are 6-4 in their last 10 games but have won 3 in a row since KG returned to the lineup.  The Clippers are 2-8 in their last 10 games and have lost 2 in a row. 

The Clippers are playing in the second of back to back games having lost to the Raptors in Toronto the previous night.   The Celtics are getting healthy and will be looking to avenge their loss in LA. 

Starting SF Al Thornton sat out the game in Toronto with a sore shoulder.  If he is out of the Celtics game as well, there will be a mismatch in the Celtics favor at that position. 

Keys to the Game
Defense  Defense wins games.  The Celtics have been showing signs of getting back to the tough defense that has made them such a tough team and they need to continue to work on getting their defensive intensity back.   Defense in the paint is going to be particularly important in this game.

Take Care of the Ball  The Celtics have been one of the worst teams at turning the ball over all season.  They need take care of the basketball and avoid sloppy play that leads to unforced turnovers. 

Move the Basketball   When the Celtics have 30 or more assists in a game they win.  They have to move the ball and find the open man.  They struggle when players look for their own shot.   

X-Factor
Focus
The Celtics need to come out focused and regain their intensity on both ends of the court as they prepare for the playoffs.  The only way the Celtics will lose this game is if they are not focused and give it away. 

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2009, 09:02:11 PM »

Offline Cman

  • K.C. Jones
  • *************
  • Posts: 13068
  • Tommy Points: 120
TP.
Can't wait for this one -- payback!
Celtics fan for life.

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2009, 09:37:11 PM »

Offline TatteredOnMySleeve

  • Don Chaney
  • *
  • Posts: 1942
  • Tommy Points: 107
Payback

Crush 'em

That was one of if not our worse loss of the season
When you got it going, you got it going. I just keep my focus down the stretch. That's when I want the ball. I'm just not afraid to fail."-PaulPierce

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2009, 11:11:49 PM »

Offline Scalablob990

  • Jaylen Brown
  • Posts: 715
  • Tommy Points: 83
  • The REAL Pau Gasol
Anyone know how far away is Powe from returning?
True Celtic = Leon Powe

Bring back the show!!!!

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2009, 11:16:58 PM »

Offline jackson_34

  • Bailey Howell
  • **
  • Posts: 2036
  • Tommy Points: 166
it's amazing to think how obsolete baron Davis has become. He was one of the higher profile pg's of the league not one season ago, and the trend may have continued if brand hadn't skipped town.

Nevertheless go c's. Let's go undefeated this road trip, send a message to the league that we may be depleted but they better watch out come playoff time! (ok maybe a win over the clippers won't necessarily strike fear in many teams, but coming out of a west road trip unscathed is never an easy feat.)

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2009, 12:05:45 AM »

Offline Tai

  • Bailey Howell
  • **
  • Posts: 2230
  • Tommy Points: 32
Anyone know how far away is Powe from returning?

Firstly, nice avatar. I always said Gasol was a "soft" serve ice cream. :D

Secondly, at the time he was injured, he was supposed to be out 2-3 weeks. That means he may not be back until the last week of the regular season. Somewhere around there.

Definitely should be good to go for the playoffs.

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2009, 12:27:01 AM »

Offline RAcker

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3892
  • Tommy Points: 69
  • Law mercy!
The female dog known as "Ms. Payback" will rear her vicious head on the Clips tomorrow night.  I'll witness the carnage and like it.

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2009, 01:33:00 AM »

Offline ACF

  • Danny Ainge
  • **********
  • Posts: 10756
  • Tommy Points: 1157
  • A Celtic Fan
A TP for FL and a whooping for the Clips!

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2009, 02:42:14 AM »

Offline Celtic_E

  • Oshae Brissett
  • Posts: 63
  • Tommy Points: 10
Anything less than a smackdown on those paper Clips is a disappointment for me.

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2009, 03:32:19 PM »

Offline Mr October

  • Paul Silas
  • ******
  • Posts: 6129
  • Tommy Points: 247
payback time!! Go Celtics!!!

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2009, 05:33:46 PM »

Offline celticinorlando

  • John Havlicek
  • ****************************
  • Posts: 28041
  • Tommy Points: 638
  • MASTER OF PANIC
i want to see no starters playing in the 4th...i hate the clippers...destroy them

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2009, 05:46:51 PM »

Offline twinbree

  • Jim Loscutoff
  • **
  • Posts: 2670
  • Tommy Points: 170
I hope the Celtics are out for blood. I'm not so bitter about the loss in the last game as the repeated attempts to re-dislocate PP's thumb. Nothing less than sending them away with a soul crushing loss will be adequate revenge.
Tommy: He's got a line about me. Tell him the line.

Mike: Everybody 60 or over knows Tommy as a player. Everybody 40 or over knows Tommy as a coach. Everybody 20 or over knows Tommy as a broadcaster. And everybody 10 or under thinks he's Shrek.

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2009, 05:49:26 PM »

Offline Edgar

  • Kevin McHale
  • ************************
  • Posts: 24646
  • Tommy Points: 445
  • No contaban con mi astucia !!!
Its was sooo long since I send Fl a Tp for this excellent threads that i am  ashamed of my self
thanks Fl a great one as usual (2 tps your way)
I forgot how mr. unusefull Raldolpph kill us last game
hopefully Garnett and Powe will kill him today

saludos

edgar
Once a CrotorNat always a CROTORNAT  2 times CB draft Champion 2009-2012

Nice to be back!

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2009, 05:56:32 PM »

Offline xmuscularghandix

  • Tiny Archibald
  • *******
  • Posts: 7620
  • Tommy Points: 280
Revenge.

Re: Clippers (17-52) at Celtics (53-18) 3/23
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2009, 06:24:00 PM »

Offline celticinorlando

  • John Havlicek
  • ****************************
  • Posts: 28041
  • Tommy Points: 638
  • MASTER OF PANIC
can't wait to see the reaction when KG is introduced tonight