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Boston Celtics (34-24) at Toronto Raptors (20-39)
Friday, April 13
7:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #59 – Road Game #29
TV: CSNNE, SNET1, NBA-LP 751
Radio: WEEI, CJCL
Air Canada CentreProbable Starters PGSGSFPFCPG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Kevin Garnett
Celtics Reserves Ray Allen
E'twaun Moore
Greg Stiemsma
JaJuan Johnson
Sasha Pavlovic
Marquis Daniels
Ryan Hollins
Keyon Dooling
Injured Jermaine O'Neal (wrist) out
Ray Allen (ankle) day to day
Brandon Bass (knee) probable
Probable StartersPGSG SF PFCPG: Jose Calderon
SG: DeMar DeRozan
SF: Alan Anderson
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Aaron Gray
Raptors BenchEd Davis
Jamaal Magloire
Gary Forbes
Solomon Alabi
Linas Kleiza
James Johnson
Ben Uzoh
Justin Dentmon
Injuries Jose Calderon (eye) day to day
Andrea Bargnani (calf) day to day
Jerryd Bayless (oblique) out
Team ConnectionsRajon Rondo, Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey and Jamaal Magloire all attended the University of Kentucky
Jermaine O’Neal played in Toronto during the 2008-09 season
Linas Kleiza and Keyon Dooling both went to the University of Missouri
Brandon Bass and Jamaal Magloire were teammates in Dallas during the 2007-08 season.
Key Matchups vs
Rajon Rondo vs Jose Calderon
vs
Kevin Garnett vs Aaron Gray
Honorable Mention vs
Avery Bradley vs DeMar DeRozan
Keys to the Game Rebound - The Celtics have got to crash the boards to prevent second chance points. Rebounding takes effort and when they aren't winning the battle of the boards, they aren't putting the effort out in other areas either. The Celtics may be ranked last in rebounding but they have proved that when they really want them, the Celtics can grab rebounds.
Focus - The Celtics tend to lose focus and take some teams for granted, and play down to their level. They have to keep their focus and play their game whether they are playing the Heat or the Raptors because when the Raptors are taken for granted, they have shown that they can steal a win against +.500 teams.
Defense - The Celtics must make defense their first priority in each and every game. They have once again found their defensive identity and their recent surge is the result of that. They need to play tough defense and lock down the Raptors. A nice blow out win would be nice since this is the first of back to back to back games and defense is what will give the starters some rest for the next game.
Be Aggressive - When the Celtics are aggressive in going after loose balls, in going to the hoop, and in crashing the boards, they are really tough to beat. As they move through this tough stretch, they will need to be more aggressive going to the hoop especially because as their legs get tired, the jumpers won't fall near as easily.
Game NotesThe Celtics continue their brutal stretch of 7 games in 9 nights and begin their first and only back to back to back series with this game in Toronto. They got a boost from the return of Mickael Pietrus in their last game but lost Ray Allen once again with the swelling in his ankle. Ray did not travel with the team and is back to the ubiquitous day to day designation. With Pietrus back and playing well and contributing, it seems like a good move to let Ray sit until he is 100%. The Raptors have some injury problems of their own with Calderon, Kleiza, and Bargnani all listed as questionable for this game. Calderon was playing with a bruised eye courtesy of the Sixers and then in their last game, he was elbowed in the same eye by the Sixers once again.
The Celtics have won their last 4 games, all against playoff teams. The Raptors have lost their last 4 games and are way out of the playoffs with the 3rd worst record in the East. The Raptors are 11-19 at home while the Celtics are 13-15 on the road. The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 games while the Raptors are 4-6 in their last 10.
In looking at the stats, it's hard to see why the Raptors' record is so bad. They are 27th in scoring (91.3) but the Celtics are just slightly better on offense at 91.
. On defense, the Celtics allow 89.6 ppg (3rd) on 41.9% shooting (1st). The Raptors aren't great, but they aren't bad either, ranking 13th in points allowed (94.9) and 9th in FG% allowed (43.9%). The Raptors rank 19th in rebounding with 41.6 while the Celtics are still last, pulling down just 38.9 rpg, although, in recent games against some very good rebounding teams, the Celtics have cleaned up on the boards. The Raptors also turn the ball over slightly less than the Celtics (14.98 for the Raps to 15.03 for the C's).
The Raptors just don't seem all that bad when you look at their stats so I'm hoping the Celtics don't underestimate them because the Raptors can be tough when they want to be. Ever since the Gerald Green alley oop dunk on them, the Raptors and their fans have very much disliked the Celtics and I expect a non-tanking effort from them in this game. Hopefully, the Celtics don't underestimate them and come out ready for this game.
X-FactorsFatigue and Focus
The Celtics are playing in their 3rd game in 4 nights along with the travel, and have games on Saturday and Sunday also. They could be facing some fatigue and so they need to be able to fight through it. If the focus is there, as it was against the Heat and Hawks, they should get a win. Sometimes, though, against the weaker teams, they lose focus and allow those teams to sneak in a win.