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Boston Celtics (14-10) at Toronto Raptors (8-19)
Friday, February 10
7:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #26 – Road Game #9
TV: CSNNE, TSN, NBA-LP 751
Radio: WEEI, CJCL
Air Canada CentreProbable Starters PGSGSFPFCPG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Jermaine O'Neal
Celtics Reserves Brandon Bass
E'twaun Moore
Greg Stiemsma
JaJuan Johnson
Sasha Pavlovic
Marquis Daniels
Mickael Pietrus
Injured Keyon Dooling (hip) day to day
Avery Bradley (shoulder) day to day
Probable StartersPGSG SF PFCPG: Jose Calderon
SG: Jerryd Bayless
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: James Johnson
C: Amir Johnson
Raptors BenchEd Davis
Jamaal Magloire
Gary Forbes
Anthony Carter
Solomon Alabi
Rasual Butler
Linas Kleiza
Aaron Gray
Leandro Barbosa
Injuries Andrea Bargnani (calf) 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
Keyon Dooling and Rasual Butler were teammates on the Miami Heat during the 2004-05 season
Rasual Butler and Brandon Bass were teammates in New Orleans from 2005-07
Brandon Bass and Jamaal Magloire were teammates in Dallas during the 2007-08 season.
Key Matchups vs
Ray Allen vs Jerryd Bayless
Bayless gives up a couple inches to Ray, but he has the speed to stay with Ray as he runs through screens trying to get open. Ray has been shooting the ball well and if Bayless leaves him open, hopefully Ray can make him pay.
vs
Paul Pierce vs DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan has been one of the bright spots for the Raptors but has gone through a slump this season at times. Pierce should be able to get the best of this matchup, even if DeRozan is out of his slump.
Honorable MentionBenches
With the Celtics playing back to back, their bench will be important in this game. If the Celtics can get good contributions from their bench they should be able to get a win in this game.
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. They were out rebounded by the Lakers and allowed about half of the Lakers points on tip-ins and put backs. They have to do a better job on the boards.
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 Lakers or the Rapors.
Defense - The Celtics must make defense their first priority in each and every game. They have once again found their defensive identity and their win streak is a result of that. They need to play tough defense and lock down the Raptors, just as they did the Magic a couple of weeks ago.
Take Care of the Ball - Turnovers have been a problem for the Celtics at times. They tend to lose their focus and make bad passes and take their eyes off the defenders at times. They have to limit their turnovers and take care of the basketball.
Ball Movement- The Celtics ball movement was almost non-existent against the Lakers, especially in the second half. Too many possessions came down to a Rondo desperation jumper at the buzzer. They were all trying to do too much and the ball wasn't moving and the players weren't moving without the ball. They have to move the ball and find the open man. Hero ball never works.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics played very passively against the Lakers. They didn't drive to the hoop and settled for too many jumpers. They also didn't hustle for loose balls and hustle for rebounds. They allowed the Lakers to out hustle them all game, especially in the second half. They have to be more aggressive, even against the Raptors, especially on the road.
Game NotesThe Celtics are coming off a tough OT loss to the Lakers and with travel and back to back, this could be a tough one for them, even though they have already beaten the Raptors 4 times this season - two in preseason and two in regular season. All but one of the games were played in Boston.
The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 and after winning 5 in a row, they lost their last game. The Raptors are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have lost their last 3. The Celtics are 3-6 at home while the Celtics are 4-4 on the road.
This should be an easy game for the Celtics but with playing overtime and travel, they are going to have to put out the effort. The game isn't going to win itself, in spite of the Raptors' poor record.
X-FactorsBack to Back and the Road
The Celtics are playing in the second of back to back games after an emotional game versus the Lakers the night before. Plus, they had to travel to Toronto and go through customs and all that stuff. This is where they show what they are made of when the schedule gets rough and they have to win on the road.