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Golden State Warriors (45-11) at Boston Celtics (23-33)
Sunday, March, 1, 2015
6:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #57, Home Game #30
TV: CSN-NE, CSN-BA, NBA-LP 753(DTV)/753,754(Xfinity)
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, KNBR 680 AM
TD GardenProbable Starters
PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Evan Turner
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Tyler Zeller
Celtics ReservesGerald Wallace
Jae Crowder
James Young
Phil Pressey
Shavlik Randolph
Isaiah Thomas
Jonas Jerebko
Gigi Datome
InjuriesKelly Olynyk (ankle) day to day
Jared Sullinger (foot) out
Head CoachBrad Stevens
Probable Starters PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Draymond Green
C: Andrew Bogut
Warriors ReservesLeandro Barbosa
Justin Holiday
Andre Iguodala
David Lee
Brandon Rush
Marreese Speights
Shaun Livingston
InjuriesFestus Ezeli (suspended) out
D-League Ognjen Kuzmic
James Michael McAdoo
Head CoachSteve Kerr
Game Notes The Celtics host the league leading Golden State Warriors for the second and final meeting between these two teams this season. The Celtics lost the first meeting on the road 115-111, but gave the Warriors a scare so it's pretty certain they won't take the Celtics for granted in this game.
The Warriors lost 2 of 3 games to begin their 6 game road trip, but bounced back to beat the Atlantic Division leading Raptors 113-89 on Friday. The Celtics have won their last 3 games and are looking for their first 4 game win streak this season. The Warriors have won 3 in a row vs the Celtics and are looking for their first 4 game win streak over the Celtics since moving West fromPhiladelphia prior to the 1962-63 season. The Warriors last won four-straight over the Celtics from Jan. 27 to Feb. 10, 1962, as the Philadelphia Warriors in a pair of home-and-home back-to-back sets took place in a 15-day span...
Jared Sullinger led the Celtics with 26 points in their first meeting but is out for the rest of the season. Kelly Olynyk practiced on Saturday and is day to day. Golden State led that game by as many as 14 points to start the fourth quarter, but the Celtics scored seven straight points in the game’s final 30 seconds to cut the Warriors’ lead to just three points. Golden State held on for the three-point victory, just its second game this season decided by four points or fewer.
Both teams are 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Warriors are 21-9 on the road while the Celtics are 14-15 at home. Should the Celtics win this game, it will be their 200th all time win over the Warriors franchise. The Warriors are looking for their 2nd straight win while the Celtics are looking for their first 4 game win streak of the season.
Key Matchups vs
Marcus Smart vs Stephen Curry
The Warriors have perhaps the best back court in the league. Stephen Curry is playing very well and will be a tough cover for Smart. Curry is averaging 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 2.2 steals. He is shooting 48.2% from the field, 40.6% from beyond the arc and 90.7% from the line. Slowing him down will be key.
vs
Avery Bradley vs Klay Thompson
The other half of the Warriors talented back court is just as dangerous. Against the Kings earlier this season he scored 52 points, 37 points of which came in the 3rd quarter alone. He was 13-13 from the field, including 9-9 from beyond the arc. He is averaging 21.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals. Bradley and Smart must find a way to slow these two down.
Keys to the Game
Defense - The Warriors can put up points quickly and in bunches. It will be important for the Celtics to bring their defensive intensity into this game, especially to shut down the Warriors' fast breaks. The Celtics must especially guard the perimeter as the Warriors are very dangerous beyond the arc. The Warriors are tops in the league in scoring, averaging 110.2 points per game. They also allow just 99.8 points per game. The Warriors are 28-0 when they hold teams below 100 points. The team that executes best on the defensive end of the court will get the win.
Rebound - The Celtics need to crash the boards to keep the Warriors from igniting their fast breaks. The Celtics also need to rebound to give themselves second chance points and limit the second chance points for the Warriors. The Warriors are a very good rebounding team, pulling down 44.8 rebounds per game, good for 7th in the league. The Celtics need to up their effort on the boards in order to win the rebounding battle.
Take Care of the Ball - The Warriors can be very disruptive by getting into the passing lanes. The Celtics seem to go through periods in every game where they turn over the ball several times in a row. The Celtics need to stay focused and not give the Warriors any easy opportunities to steal the ball or to get out on the break. The Warriors are 4th in the league in getting steals at 9.5 per game and if the Celtics get sloppy with the ball, the Warriors will make them pay.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics need to come out focused and play hard from start to finish. The Celtics have to be the more aggressive team throughout the game. They must be aggressive on defense, on the boards, in chasing down loose balls, and in taking the ball to the hoop and not settling for jumpers. They will need energy and extra effort from every player on the team.
X-Factors
Home and Momentum
The Celtics are at home while the Warriors are in the midst of a 6 game road trip. They should get a boost from the home crowd and familiar surroundings. Also, they have been playing their best ball of the season in winning their last 3 games and hopefully that will continue in this game. After the scare that they gave the Warriors in their last meeting, there won't be any underestimating the Celtics in this one but the Celtics have momentum coming into the game and look for the newcomers to continue bringing energy to the team.