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Portland Trailblazers (6-2) at Boson Celtics (4-5)
Friday, November 15, 2013
7:30 PM ET
Game #10, Home Game #5
TV: CSNNE, CSNNW, NBA-LP 756(DTV)/756(Xfinity)
Radio: WZLX 100.7 FM, WBZ, Fox Sports Radio
TD Garden
Probable Starting Matchups Point Guard
vs
Jordan Crawford vs Damian Lillard
Shooting Guard
vs
Avery Bradley vs Wesley Matthews
Small Forward
vs
Jeff Green vs Nicolas Batum
Power Forward
vs
Brandon Bass vs LaMarcus Aldridge
Center
vs
Kelly Olynyk vs Robin Lopez
Celtics ReservesMarShon Brooks
Jordan Crawford
Kris Humphries
Vitor Faverani
Phil Pressey
Courtney Lee
Phil Pressey
Keith Bogans
Gerald Wallace
InjuriesRajon Rondo (ACL)out
Jared Sullinger (knee) probable
Blazers Reserves Thomas Robinson
Mo Williams
Joel Freeland
Dorell Wright
Will Barton
Victor Claver
Allen Crabbe
Earl Watson
Meyers Leonard
Injuries CJ McCollum (foot) out
Key Matchups vs
Jordan Crawford vs Damian Lillard
Lillard, last year's Rookie of the Year, is averaging 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. He is athletic and is tough to defend. Crawford has been playing well for the Celtics, but he will have his work cut out for him against Lillard.
vs
Brandon Bass vs LaMarcus Aldridge
Aldridge is averaging 21.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. The Celtics will need to try to keep him out of the paint, where he is capable of doing a lot of damage.
Honorable MentionKelly Olynyk vs Robin Lopez
The battle of the hair. Kelly is still finding his place in the league but has all the tools to be very good on any given night.
Game Notes The Portland Trailblazers make their only visit to the TD Garden this year as the Celtics try to rebound from Wednesday's loss to the Bobcats. The Blazers are a tough matchup. They have young and athletic players and they are playing very well together with a 6-2 record.
The Celtics lead the series between these two teams 62-40 all time and 35-16 in Boston. The Celtics have won 9 straight games against the Trailblazers in Boston. The Celtics had won 6 straight overall before losing in Portland in February of last year.
Portland is on a 4 game win streak and looking to win their 5th straight game. The Celtics had their 4 game win streak stopped by Charlotte on Wednesday and are looking to get back on track with a win in this game.
Jared Sullinger missed the last game with a bone bruise on his knee. He is still listed as day to day but is expected to play in this game. His presence in the paint was sorely missed against the Bobcats and he will be needed in this game against Portland's big front line.
Keys to the GameEnergy- The Celtics appeared to be rather lethargic in their game against the Bobcats. They were outworked, and in order to win games, they must work harder than the other team. They need to come out with energy and keep that energy up throughout the game.
Run!- The Celtics won 4 games in a row by running from start to finish. They can get easier shots by getting up the court before the defenses set up. They can't lapse into walking the ball up the court. They have to run, run, and run some more.
Get into the Paint- Good things happen when the Celtics get into the paint and go to the basket. In their 4 game win streak, they averaged 49.5 points in the paint but in the loss to the Bobcats, they only had 38 points in the paint. They must take the ball to the hoop and not settle for jumpers, especially if they aren't falling.
Rebound- The Celtics must crash the boards to give themselves a chance to win. The Blazers are 9th in rebounding with 44.6 rebounds per game. The Celtics rank 25th, pulling down 40.7 rebounds per game.
X-Factors Desire and Home CrowdThe Celtics have to want this game more and have to fight for it. They will get a boost from the home crowd, but they have to put out the effort and energy to get the win.
Topic: Trailblazers (6-2) at Celtics (4-5) Game 10 11/15 (Read 33223 times)