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Denver Nuggets (33-18) at Boston Celtics (26-23)
Sunday, February 10, 2013
6:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #50 Home Game #28
TV: CSNNE, ASE, LP 751(DEN)/752 (BOS)
Radio: WEEI, 104.3 FM
TD GardenProbable Starting Matchups Point Guard vs
Avery Bradley vs Ty Lawson
Shooting Guard vs
Courtney Lee vs Andre Iguodala
Small Forward vs
Paul Pierce vs Danilo Gallinari
Power Forward vs
Brandon Bass vs Kenneth Faried
Center vs
Kevin Garnett vs Kosta Koufos
Celtics ReservesJason Terry
Jason Collins
Chris Wilcox
Jeff Green
Leandro Barbosa
InjuriesRajon Rondo (knee) out
Jared Sullinger (back) out
Red Claws Fab Melo
Denver's Reserves Corey Brewer
Wilson Chandler
Evan Fournier
Jordan Hamilton
JaVale McGee
Andre Miller
Quincy Miller
Timofey Mosgov
Anthony Randolph
Julyan Stone
InjuriesNone
Team Connections Brandon Bass and Anthony Randolph both attended LSU
Avery Bradley and Jordan Hamilton both attended Texas
Jason Collins and Corey Brewer were teammates in Minnesota during the 2008-09 season
Jason Terry and Andre Iguodala both attended Arizona
Corey Brewer and Jason Terry were teammates in Dallas during the 2010-11 season
Chris Wilcox and Andre Miller were teammates on the LA Clippers from 2002-05
Wilcox, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari were teammates in New York during the 2008-09 season.
Game Notes Two win streaks will collide as the Denver Nuggets bring their 9 game win streak into the Garden to face try to break the Celtics' 6 game win streak. The Nuggets earned their 9th straight victory on Saturday night with a 111-103 victory over the Cavaliers. The Nuggets stopped the Clippers' 17 game win streak earlier this season and would like to play the spoiler for the Celtics streak as well.
The Nuggets have quietly compiled the 4th best record in the West and the 6th best record overall. They are 9-1 in their last 10 games while the Celtics are 6-4 in their last 10. The Celtics are playing well at home with an 18-9 record at the Garden while the Nuggets have struggled a bit on the road with an 11-15 record away from the Pepsi Center.
This is the first meeting between these two clubs this season. They will meet again in just 9 more days. Right after the All Star break, the Celtics will hit the road and the Nuggets will be their first game on a 5 game road trip. This will be a big test for the Celtics and hopefully they will be up for it.
Key Matchups vs
Paul Pierce vs Danilo Gallinari
Gallinari is averaging 17.1 points per game and is capable of hitting shots from the perimeter as well as getting to the basket. He has a height advantage on Pierce which may make guarding him more difficult for the Captain. Pierce needs to make him work on the defensive end and use his veteran wiles to limit Gallo's scoring.
vs
Brandon Bass vs Kenneth Faried
Bass will have his hands full with Faried who has earned the nickname "Manimal." Faried plays with an abundance of energy and is a beast on the boards. He averages 12.2 points and 9.7 boards a game and slowing him down will be key for the Celtics.
Honorable MentionCourtney Lee vs Andre Iguodala
The Celtics have had their share of battles with Andre Iguodala when he played for the Sixers. He is averaging 13.5 points a game for the Nuggets but is capable of putting up big numbers on any given night.
Keys to the Game Defense - I may sound like a broken record, but Defense is the key to every game. If they come into every game with the mindset to make defense a priority, they stand a good chance of winning every one. When they slack off on defense, it affects every part of their game. The Nuggets have won 31-1 in games where they score 100+ points. They also rank first in the league in fast break points (19.4). The Celtics have got to play tough defense if they want to win this game.
Rebound - Since much of rebounding is effort and desire, the effort that the Celtics show on the boards usually indicates how much the team really wants the game. The Nuggets are a big team and are a very good rebounding team, ranking 2nd in the league with 45.4 rebounds per game and 1st in offensive rebounds with 13.8 per game. The Celtics are 2nd to last, pulling down only 39.7 rebounds per game. The Celtics have got to make an effort to crash the boards as a team.
Be Aggressive The more aggressive team usually gets more calls and taking the ball to the hoop usually ends in either a basket or a foul or a kick out to a wide open teammate. The Celtics can't settle for jumpers, especially against a team like the Nuggets who will clean up the rebounds and turn them into a fast break. They have to be aggressive in going to the hoop. They also must be aggressive in going after loose balls and rebounds.
Move the Ball- When the Celtics move the ball and find the open man, they are very tough to beat. When the ball movement slows and players try to do too much, it usually ends in a loss. But the Celtics must be careful with their passes as the Nuggets are 6th in the league, forcing 15.5 turnovers a game.
X-FactorsHome and Rust vs Fatigue
The Celtics are home where they have been playing well and they need to use the crowd to give them an advantage in the game. The Nuggets are a great home team but have struggled at times on the road with a 10-15 record away from the Pepsi Center. The Celtics have also had 2 full days off without practice while the Nuggets are playing in the second of back to back games.