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Boston Celtics (50-21) at Minnesota Timberwolves (17-56)
Sunday, March 27
7:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #27, Road Game #35
TV: CSN-NE, WFTC, NBA-LP 758
Radio: WEEI, KFAN
Target Center
Probable Starters PG
SG
SF
PF
C
PG: Rajon Rondo 10.2 PPG 11.5 APG 2.4 SPG
SG: Ray Allen 17.2 PPG 2.7 APG .459 3P%
SF: Paul Pierce 18.6 PPG 5.1 RPG 3.3 APG
PF: Kevin Garnett 15.0 PPG 9.0 RPG 0.8 BPG
C: Nenad Krstic 8.2 PPG 4.8 RPG 0.3 BPG
Celtics Reserves Jeff Green
Glen Davis
Delonte West
Sasha Pavlovic
Avery Bradley
Carlos Arroyo
Injured Shaquille O'Neal (Achilles) out
Jermaine O'Neal (knee) doubtful
Von Wafer (calf) day to day
Troy Murphy (ankle) day to day
Delonte West (ankle) probable
Probable StartersPG
SG 
SF 
PF 
C 
PG: Luke Ridnour 11.8 PPG 5.3 APG 1.2 SPG
SG: Wesley Johnson 9.2 PPG 1.9 APG .354 3P%
SF: Michael Beasley 18.9 PPG 5.5 RPG 2.1 APG
PF: Anthony Randolph 5.3PPG 3.2 RPG 0.5 BPG
C: Darko Milicic 8.8 PPG 5.3 RPG 2.1 BPG
Wolves Bench Nikola Pekovic
Johnny Flynn
Martell Webster
Wayne Ellington
Sebastian Telfair
Lazar Hayward
Anthony Tolliver
Injuries Kevin Love (groin) day to day
Eddy Curry (hamstring) out
Team ConnectionsKevin Garnett played for the Timberwolves from 1995‐2007
Ray Allen was originally drafted by the Timberwolves with the 5th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft
Dave Wohl was an Assistant Coach with the Celtics from 2004‐07 and Assistant GM from 2007‐09
Michael Beasley and Jermaine O’Neal were teammates in Miami during the later stages of the 2008‐09 season and all of the 2009‐10 season
Lazar Hayward and Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers both attended Marquette
Sebastian Telfair played for the Celtics during the 2006‐07 season
Telfair, Shaquille O’Neal and Delonte West were teammates in Cleveland during the 2009‐10 season
West and Luke Ridnour were teammates in Seattle during the 2007‐08 season
Ridnour and Ray Allen were teammates in Seattle from 2004‐07
Martell Webster and Von Wafer were teammates in Portland during the 2007‐08 season.
Game NotesThis is the second and final meeting between these two teams. The Celtics won a close game in Boston 96-93 in which they came back from 9 points down in the 3rd behind 18 second half points from Paul Pierce. This was in the good old days when Rondo actually ran the team and he finished with 16 assists. KG missed that first meeting with the calf strain and Kevin Love may miss this game with a groin injury.
The Celtics enter this game 2 games behind Chicago for the top seed in the East and just half a game ahead of Miami for the 2nd seed. They have also fallen behind the Lakers in the standings. The Celtics don't seem to have any intensity or sense of urgency and have been going away from the things that have made them so tough in the past.
Doc called the team soft at halftime against the Knicks and that gave them enough incentive to come out in the second half and pull out a win after playing a very soft first half. After their loss to the Bobcats, Doc called out the team as being selfish. I don't recall ever seeing Doc so frustrated with the team. Even the team that lost 18 in a row played hard and tried hard. This team seems to be doing neither. Hopefully they have gotten the message and will turn it around and get back to playing Celtics team ball in this game.
The Celtics are 4-6 in their last 10 games and 21-13 on the road. They have lost 2 in a row and hopefully they will put out the effort in this game to avoid a 3 game losing streak. The Timberwolves are coming off a loss to Perk and the Thunder and are 2-8 in their last 10 games and are 12-24 at home. They have lost their last 6 games.
With frustrations rising with both the team and Doc, the Celtics need to turn it around and focus on getting back to what has made them one of the top teams this season. They need to remember ubuntu and that team ball wins games. If they can do that, they should be fine in this game and beyond.
Key Matchups
vs
Paul Pierce vs Michael Beasley
Beasley has been playing very well at the small forward position for the Wolves. He has both an athletic and a height advantage over Pierce. Pierce will need to play well and smart to get the best of this matchup.
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Luke Ridnour
Anyone who has watched Rondo play over the last couple of weeks know that there is something wrong, either mentally or physically. And as I have said many times, as Rondo goes, so go the Celtics. The Celtics need Rondo to get focused and back on track to lead the offense. Rondo had just 5 assists in his last game and none in the first half. Rondo should be able to get the best of this matchup if he gets back to being himself, but that's a big if at this point.
Honorable Mention Kevin Garnett vs Anthony Randolph (or Kevin Love)
If Love is still out with the groin injury, this should be an easy game for KG. If Love is back, KG will definitely have his hands full.
Keys to the Game1. Defense - The Celtics must defend. They've been playing defense in spurts and that just isn't enough. They have struggled to get stops against teams like the Bobcats and that isn't good. The offense feeds off of the defense and if the Celtics can't get stops they struggle on the other end as well.
2. Rebound - The Celtics must get rebounds to prevent second chance points and fast breaks. Rebounding takes effort and desire and the Celtics have shown very little of either lately. When they put out the effort on the boards, it translates to all other areas of the game as well.
3. Work the Offense - Unselfishness and ball movement have been hallmarks of the Celtics offense. Doc called the Celtics out for being selfish after their loss to the Bobcats. They have been playing too much one on one and hero ball and not enough team ball. They had 1 assist in the first half of Friday's game and only 15 assists for the game. That is not Celtics basketball. They have to get back to moving the ball, making the extra pass, and finding the open man.
4. Play 48 Minutes - the Celtics have either gotten off to a good start and then collapsed down the stretch, as they did against the Bobcats, or they have started slow and had to turn it on late to come back from a big deficit. They have to give a solid effort for 48 minutes. The starters must play better and get off to a strong start and they also have to finish the game strong. Doc said that he never should have put the starters back into the game on Friday and that is sad.
5. 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. They have been playing very passively and have had no intensity. They have to get their intensity and urgency back and be the more aggressive team.
X-FactorsFocus and Desire
The Celtics haven't been playing with either. They say the right things but once they get on the court, they just haven't shown it. They have to focus on what has made them so good and that is playing team ball. They have to want it more than the Wolves and not allow yet another team that they should easily beat grab the win away from them.
Topic: Celtics (50-21) at Timberwolves (17-56) 3/27 (Read 83518 times)