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Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« on: December 04, 2012, 09:15:29 PM »

Offline FLCeltsFan

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  at 
Minnesota Timberwolves (8-8)  at  Boston Celtics (9-8) 
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #18,  Home Game #10
TV:  CSN-NE, FSNN-MN, NBA-LP 755(MIN)/756(BOS)
Radio: WEEI, WCCO-AM
TD Garden 




Probable Starters
PG SGSF PF C
Rajon Rondo..... Jason Terry ..... Paul Pierce...... Brandon Bass ..... Kevin Garnett

Celtics Reserves
Jared Sullinger
Jason Collins
Courtney Lee
Jeff Green
Courtney Lee
Chris Wilcox

Injuries
Avery Bradley (shoulders) out

Red Claws
Fab Melo
Kris Joseph




Probable Starters
PG SG SF PF C 
Luke Ridnour.....Malcolm Lee..... Josh Howard ..... Kevin Love.....  Nikola Pekovic

Wolves Reserves
Alexy Shved
Greg Stiemsma
JJ Barea
Dante Cunningham
Lou Admunson


Injuries

Andrei Kirilenko (back) out
Ricky Rubio (knee) out
Chase Budinger (knee) out
Brandon Roy (knee) out


Team Connections

Kevin Garnett played for the Timberwolves from 1995-2007
Jeff Green and Luke Ridnour were teammates on the 2007-08 Seattle SuperSonics.
Brandon Bass and Jose Barea were teammates in Dallas from 2007-09
Jason Collins played for Minnesota during the 2008-09 season
Courtney Lee and Chase Budinger were teammates in Houston from 2010-12
Jason Terry, Chase Budinger and Derrick Williams all went to Arizona
Jose Barea and Jason Terry were teammates in Dallas from 2006-11
Chris Wilcox and Luke Ridnour were teammates in Seattle from 2005-08
Leandro Barbosa and Lou Amundson were teammates in Phoenix from 2008-10 and were against teammates in Indiana during the 2011-12 season
Greg Stiemsma played for the Celtics during the 2011-12 season.

Game Notes

The Celtics welcome former Celtic Greg Stiemsma and the Timberwolves to the Garden for their only visit to Boston this season.  The Wolves are 3-5 on the road and the Celtics are 5-4 at home.  The Celtics are 5-5 in their last 10 games while the Wolves are 3-7 in their last 10.   In their only meeting last season, the Celtics beat the Wolves 100-79 at the Target Center.

The Celtics should be well rested as they have been off since Sunday.  Doc gave the older players Monday off from practice as well.  Rondo has been off a week,  since his ejection vs the Nets last Wednesday so he may even be a little rusty.  The Wolves are playing in the second of back to back games,  beating the Sixers 105-88 in Philly on Tuesday night. 
 
Key Matchups
  vs 
Brandon Bass  vs Kevin Love 
Kevin Love is a very impressive player.  He is averaging 21.7 points per game and 15.3 rebounds per game.  He shoots the 3 well enough to win the 3 point contes and can score inside as well.  Bass is going to have his hands full trying to keep Love off his game.   

  vs 
Rajon Rondo vs Luke Ridnour
Rondo should have a speed advantage over Ridnour. He should also be well rested and ready to play. As Rondo goes, so go the Celtics and they need Rondo to be aggressive and set the pace for the game. 


Keys to the Game
Defense - The Celtics must defend.  They've been playing defense in spurts and that just isn't enough.  They have struggled to get stops at times and they need to bring their tough defensive game on a consistent basis.   The offense feeds off of the defense and if the Celtics can't get stops they struggle on the other end as well.

Rebound - The Celtics must get rebounds to prevent second chance points and fast breaks.   Rebounding takes effort and desire and the Celtics have got to show both and crash the boards as a team.  Kevin Love might just out-rebound the Celtics all by himself if they don't aggressively crash the boards. 

  Be Aggressive - The Celtics have to be aggressive in going after loose balls and rebounds and in taking the ball to the basket.  They also have to be aggressive on defense.  When they are aggressive in going to the hoop good things happen.   They must be the more aggressive team and they have to stop depending on jumpers, especially when the jumpers aren't falling. 

X-Factors
Rust vs Rest vs Fatigue
The Celtics have been off since Sunday and so will be rested.  Let's hop that the rest doesn't cause them to come in rusty.  The Celtics should look to take advantage of the fact that the Wolves could be fatigued playing in back to back games on the road. 

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2012, 09:17:17 PM »

Offline letsgoblue86

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Any possibility of a surprise Avery Bradley debut?

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2012, 09:25:18 PM »

Offline BASS_THUMPER

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Bass aint got no time for Love

Bass gonna shut him down!!

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2012, 09:27:17 PM »

Offline BASS_THUMPER

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and that Kg at his prime comparison to Love at his prime..

i rather go in to battle with KG then Lovey Dovey..any day

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2012, 10:16:08 PM »

Offline jdz101

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Wolves are fresh off smashing Philly by 20...

Great...


how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck was chris bosh?

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2012, 10:40:37 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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Meh:

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=320330016

I expect KG to reassert his "best Kevin to ever play for the timberwolves" status.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2012, 01:29:09 PM »

Offline apc

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Kevin Love might break a world record for most boards in a game tonight.

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2012, 01:52:43 PM »

Offline KGs Knee

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Any possibility of a surprise Avery Bradley debut?

That would be awesome!  Bradley making his season debut, starting next to Rondo, fresh off his two game vacation to Mexico suspension.

Alas, I highly doubt it.

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2012, 01:55:48 PM »

Offline gift

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I'd put the over/under at 15 rebounds for Kevin Love tonight... and I'd take the over.  With the Celtics winning anyway of course.

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2012, 02:07:32 PM »

Online Who

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PG: Luke Ridnour
SG: Malcolm Lee
SF: Josh Howard

That is a seriously weak group of starters on the perimeter. Big advantages for Boston at each of those three positions. Barbosa (Barea) and Green (D.Cunningham) should have advantages in the bench positions too. I'd say it's neutral between Shved and C-Lee.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2012, 02:12:43 PM by Who »

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2012, 02:57:05 PM »

Offline Snakehead

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I'd put the over/under at 15 rebounds for Kevin Love tonight... and I'd take the over.  With the Celtics winning anyway of course.

Agreed.  He will be gobbling up boards.

Interested to see Sully vs Love at some point out there.
"I really don't want people to understand me." - Jordan Crawford

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2012, 04:02:17 PM »

Offline BostonNative

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all we need is Chris wright!

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2012, 05:45:42 PM »

Offline ScottHow

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Over/under 20 rebs for Love tonight?

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2012, 05:50:37 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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Up against Bass and Sully? I'm taking the over. Love's an all right to solid player on a borderline-awful team, so his statline will be stuffed.

The T-Wolves still walk away with an L, of course.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Timberwolves (8-8) at Celtics (9-8) 12/5
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2012, 07:19:26 PM »

Offline Meadowlark_Scal

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Tonight we have to deal with a REAL rebounder...!!! KLove.....al jefferson and milsap were good too..!