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Boston Celtics (5-3) at Brooklyn Nets (4-2)
Thursday, November 15. 2012
8:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #9, Road Game #5
TV: TNT, NBAC
Radio: WEEI, WFAN
Barclays Center 
Probable Starters PG
SG
SF
PF
C
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Jason Terry
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Kevin Garnett
Celtics ReservesJared Sullinger
Jason Collins
Jeff Green
Courtney Lee
Leandro Barbosa
Chris Wilcox
Darko Milicic
Injuries Avery Bradley (shoulders) out
Rajon Rondo (ankle) day to day
Red Claws Fab Melo
Kris Joseph
Probable StartersPG
SG
SF
PF
C
PG: Deron Williams
SG: Joe Johnson
SF: Keith Bogans
PF: Kris Humphries
C: Brook Lopez
Nets ReservesCJ Watson
Josh Childress
Mirza Teletovic
Reggie Evans
Tomike Shengelia
Jerry Stackhouse
Tyshaun Taylor
Injuries MarShon Brooks (foot) probable
Gerald Wallace (ankle) day to day
Andray Blatche (head) questionable
Game Notes The Celtics take on divisional rival Brooklyn Nets. Both teams have a new look since the Celtics swept the series last season. The Nets are in 2nd place in the division, half a game ahead of the Celtics.
The Celtics are playing in the second of back to back games, having beaten at home against the Jazz on Wednesday night. This is also the 2nd of 4 games in 5 nights. The Nets have been off since Tuesday night. The second unit came through for the Celtics vs the Jazz, allowing Doc to limit the starter's minutes.
However, Rondo rolled his ankle in the 3rd quarter and is listed as day to day. I'm leaving him in the starting lineup because I don't know what lineup Doc will start if Rondo can't go. It's hard to tell what lineup he'll start anyway, let alone if Rondo can't go. So, I'm leaving the same starters as we had in the past 3 wins. If I get any new info either way, I'll add it to the game thread.
These two teams split a pair of preseason games with the Nets winning 97-96 at the Garden and the Celtics winning 115-85 in their very first ever trip to the Barclays Center. The Nets are 3-1 at home while the Celtics are 3-1 on the road. Both teams have won 3 in a row and at the end of the night, one team will have a 4 game win streak. Hopefully it will be the Celtics.
Key Matchups
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Deron Williams
Rondo loves playing against the other top PG's in the league. He also loves national TV games. Expect a big game from him as this game has both and he'll be at his best.
vs
Jason Terry vs Joe Johnson
Jason Terry has been praised by Doc for his defense this season and he's going to have to play defense as he faces Joe Johnson, who is capable of putting points on the board in a hurry. On the other side, Johnson hasn't been a lock down defender and Jet should be able to get his points.
Honorable MentionKevin Garnett vs Brook Lopez
Lopez has been playing very well, averaging 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. This might be a good game for the Celtics to give some minutes to Darko or Jason Collins to defend and wear down Lopez a bit.
Keys to the Game Defense - The Celtics need to continue to tighten up their defense, especially in transition and on the pick and roll. It is their defense that is going to set them apart from the rest of the league.
Bench Play - The Celtics need their reserves to continue to find their chemistry and to produce. The Celtics starters can't carry the team and still be fresh at the end of the game.
Rebound - The Celtics need to crash the boards in order to limit New Jersey's fast break points and second chance points. When they put out the effort to win the battle of the boards, that often translates to the rest of their game.
X-FactorBack to Back
The Celtics are playing in the second of back to back games on the road. So far they are 2-0 in that situation, but in the past, they have struggled in the second of back to back games, especially on the road. Hopefully they can continue this season's success in this game.
Topic: Celtics (5-3) at Nets (4-2) 11/15 (Read 63543 times)