Heat (0-1) at Celtics (1-0) Game 2 4/20

[FLCeltsFan]

 at  
Miami Heat (0-1) at Boston Celtics 1-0)
Tuesday, April 20
8:00 PM ET
Round 1 Game 2
TNT, CSN-NE, Sun Sports
Radio: WEEI, WINZ, ESPN Radio
TD Garden



Probable Starters
PG SG SF  PF  C
Rajon Rondo/ Ray Allen/ Paul Pierce/ Glen Davis/ Kendrick Perkins

Off the Bench
Nate Robinson
Shelden Williams
Rasheed Wallace
Brian Scalabrine
Tony Allen
Glen Davis
Marquis Daniels
Michael Finley
Oliver Lafayette
Tony Gaffney

Injuries
Kevin Garnett (Suspension)  out  




Probable Starters  
PG SG SF PF C
Carlos Arroyo/ Dwyane Wade/ Quentin Richardson/ Michael Beasley/ Jermaine O'Neal

Off the Bench
Joel Anthony
James Jones
Dorell Wright
Mario Chalmers
Shavlik Randolph
Jamaal Magloire
Yakhouba Diawara
Daequan Cook
Kenny Hasbrouck
Udonis Haslem  

Injuries
None  

Team Connections
Mario Chalmers and Paul Pierce are former Kansas Jayhawks
Jamaal Magloire and Rajon Rondo are former Kentucky Wildcats
Dwyane Wade and Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers both attended Marquette
Jermaine O’Neal and Marquis Daniels were teammates in Indiana from 2006-08.

Key Matchups
 vs  
Paul Pierce vs Quentin Richardson
After the last game, QRich called Pierce an actress and a faker.  The best way for Pierce to shut Richardson up would be to shut him down in this game while putting up big numbers on the offensive end.  And the ultimate way to get even would be to win the game.  With KG out, the Celtics will need a big game from Pierce.  

 vs  
Rajon Rondo vs Carlos Arroyo
The Celtics have their biggest advantage at the PG spot.  Before game 1, Rondo hadn't been able to keep any food down for 48 hours and had to have been running on fumes, yet he played 43 minutes and almost ended up with a triple double (10 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals).  He will be a bit more rested for this game and the Celtics will need him to continue to dominate on both ends, especially with KG out.  

Honorable Mention
Ray Allen/Tony Allen vs Dwyane Wade
The Celtics didn't get anything from Ray in the first game.  He took a hard hit to the nose early in the game and wasn't able to get going.  Tony Allen was great, however, shutting down Wade and also adding some crucial offense.  The Celtics will need more from Ray with KG sitting this one out and they also need more of the same from Tony.  His defense on Wade will once again be crucial. 

Players to Watch

Glen Davis
It looks like Big Baby is getting the start in place of KG for this game.   He did a good job of filling in last season when KG was out and hopefully the "Ticket Stub" will be back and bring his A game for this one.    He must work on defense and keep Beasley from getting off to a quick start.  He also has to play in the post more and put in some extra effort on the boards.  


Michael Beasley
The Heat can't win unless Wade's supporting cast steps up.  The player with the most potential to do so is Michael Beasley.  Especially without KG to harass him on defense, Beasley may look to get to the basket more and try to take the load off of Wade.  If he can do so, he gives the Heat a good chance to win.  

Leaders from Game 1
Points:    Pierce 16,  Wade 26
Rebounds:  Garnett 9, O'Neal  9
Assissts     Rondo 10,  Wade 6
Blocks      Sheed 2,  O'Neal/Wade  2
Steals     Wade 3,   Tony Allen 3  

Game Notes
 The Celtics won the season series 3-0; Celtics won the season series 3-1 against Miami in 2008-09
 Kevin Garnett netted 24 points in his one game against the Heat this season
 Dwyane Wade is averaging 35.5 points per game against the C’s this season
 The Celtics are 13-8 against Miami since the 2004-05 season
 The Celtics are leading the all-time series 52-35 with the Celtics 27-15 at home

The Celtics pulled out a win in game 1 but not before falling behind by 16 points in the 3rd quarter and having to come from behind.  If they were looking for a spark to wake them up, they got a raging fire from Quentin Richardson and David Stern.   With KG suspended for this game, the rest of the team will need to pick up their games, especially on defense and rebounding.    They need to get more out of Sheed and Perk especially.

The Celtics were able to win game 1 in spite of shooting only 44% from the field and hitting only 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.  Pierce was only 4-12, Ray was just 2-9 and Rondo shot 4-11.  Hopefully all 3 will shoot much better in game 3 and they will have to in order to make up for the absence of KG who hit 6-10 in the first game.  

                                                                                          Keys to the Game
Defense The Celtics won game 1 because they found their defense once again.   Defense wins games and wins championships and the Celtics must continue to play the tough team defense that we saw down the stretch in game 1.  With KG out, others will need to step up their efforts on the defensive end.    

Rebound  The Celtics need to crash the boards to prevent the Heat from getting second chance baskets and also to  limit their fast break opportunities.  The Celtics were out rebounded 40-37 in game 1.  They have to do a better job of boxing out and grabbing the rebounds.  With KG out, Sheed, Perk and Big Baby have to work harder on the boards.  
  

Play 48 Minutes   The Celtics have to come out strong and keep the pressure on throughout the game.  Once again in the 3rd quarter, the Celtics let up and allowed the Heat to build a lead.  They were able to come back to win the game but they can't allow the Heat to build a lead, especially with KG out.  They need to hustle from the opening tip to the final buzzer.  

Slow Down D Wade - Tony Allen was key in game one for his defense on Wade, holding him to 26 points.  The Celtics will need another super human effort on defense to keep him from dominating in game 2.  He looked very determined in his press conference and the Celtics need to be ready for his attempt to take over the game.  

X-Factor
KG's Absence
This could go in two ways.  The Celtics can use his suspension as a rallying cry and come out on fire to win this one for KG.  Or, they can lay down and use his absence for an excuse not to win.   Their focus and heart will determine which of these scenarios we will see.  

[lon3lytoaster]

I missed the gamethread on Saturday with everyone. It was a fun game to watch and I probably woke everyone else in the house up three or four times from my excited cheers. Tony really got me going. That dunk and defensive stop where he forced Wade into bricking a three got me yelled at, but well worth it. He was our MVP game one, for sure.

Let's do it up big on Tuesday, we win this game, I think there's a good chance we either sweep or win in five. Let's go Celtics! (TP's for FL)

[Tai]

You can do it Celtics. You've beaten the Heat without KG before.

Rasheed actually did well in that game too, so I have faith he can do it again.

[thetruthcs34205]

I wonder how high Sheed is going to be before and or during the game considering it is 4/20 and all

[lon3lytoaster]

I wonder how high Sheed is going to be before and or during the game considering it is 4/20 and all

Hopefully he'll save the the "cigar" for after the game, when we win.

[Bahku]

Pierce is angry, and he's one of the few players who can turn anger into improved play. Most people get shaken and rattled by anger, and don't know how to channel it properly, but Paul is very good at translating anger into something positive, and this could very well be one of those games where The Truth "lights it up" in a very big way. Great write-up, Fl ... TP.

[makaveli]

Take care of the HCA 
What are the chances of another "altercation" today? I'd say 60-40

[Mr October]

Pierce is angry, and he's one of the few players who can turn anger into improved play. Most people get shaken and rattled by anger, and don't know how to channel it properly, but Paul is very good at translating anger into something positive, and this could very well be one of those games where The Truth "lights it up" in a very big way. Great write-up, Fl ... TP.

Oh Captain, my Captain... destroy the Heat!

[GreenFaith1819]

TP for the post, FLCeltsFan!

I'll be at school for this one, unfortunately, but I'll certainly be checking in during the few breaks we get.

It will certainly be demoralizing for MIA if we get this win without KG.

And on Friday, we get KG back . He has played Very Well in MIA, too.

Just weather the Wade Storm..he'll run out of gas by Mid 3rd qtr or so.

Oh, and I hope the Garden Faithful Lustily boo Q Rich, the Bum

[ACF]

Another TP for FL.





BEAT THE HEAT!

[Q_FBE]

Another outstanding preview from FLCeltFan. And she does this on a volunteer basis. No wonder she has the best TP / to post ratio on this board for a minimum of 500 posts.

My concerns are not whether the Celtics will come out fired up. I am pretty sure they will have their heads and hearts in this one. My biggest concern is playing and coaching with poise. This will be a hot tempered game and the referees are more likely to be involved (ie call fouls and get players in foul trouble). That will put more pressure on the poise factor.

Can we set picks for Ray and free him up for open looks and can Ray knock those down?

Can Perkins win his matchup with O'Neal?

Can Stubby (Glen Davis or BBD) continue his excellence on the glass and drawing charges?

Can the Sheed find a useful role, like scoring on the blocks and move his feet on defense?

Can Rondo QB the offense and limit Turnovers that wreck our game?

If the answers to three or more questions is yes, than I think we will be in good shape and hold HCA.

The crowd will be on Quitton (He must never ever be called the Q for obvious reasons). His name is Quitton.

[Mr October]

Less than 8 hours to go, baby.

Lets go Celtics! clap clap, clap, clap, clap.
Lets go Celtics! clap clap, clap, clap, clap.

[Greenbean]

Scrambling to get my shift covered tonight at my part time job...wish me luck!

[Tai]

Rondo shouldn't be sick now. So shouldn't TA, although I'll take how he did on Saturday.

But yeah, if Rondo is better and is aggressive early, that'd be big.

[RAcker]

We can revise that starting lineup from what it sounds like FL.  BBD was the right choice.

TP by the way.