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Minnesota Timberwolves (5-19) at Boston Celtics (9-14)
Friday, December 19, 2014
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #24, Home Game #15
TV: CSNNE, FSNorth, NBA-LP 754 (DTV), 754 (xfinity)
Radio: WZLX, WCCO-AM
TD GardenProbable Starters PG
SG
SF
PF
C
Evan Turner...Avery Bradley...Jeff Green...Jared Sullinger...Tyler Zeller
Celtics Reserves Evan Turner
Brandon Bass
Tyler Zeller
Gerald Wallace
Jae Crowder
Brandan Wright
Jameer Nelson
InjuriesMarcus Thornton (calf) out
Marcus Smart (Achilles) -questionable
James Young (shoulder) out
Probable Starters PG
SG
SF
PF
C
Zach Lavine...Shabazz Muhammad...Andrew Wiggins... Thaddeus Young...Gorgui Dieng
Timberwolves ReservesShabazz Muhammad
Anthony Bennett
Mo Williams
Jeff Adrien
Robbie Hummel
Glenn Robinson
Chase Budinger
Injuries Kevin Martin (wrist) out
Nikola Pekovic (ankle) out
Ricky Rubio (ankle) out
Ronny Turiaf (hip) out
Game Notes Disclaimer: Just as I was getting ready to make the game thread, I learned that the Celtics had traded Rondo and it more or less took the wind out of my sails. I really didn't feel like making a game thread or much else. I don't deal well with change. I came up as a Celtics fan when players stayed their whole careers in Boston and I loved it. I hate this new NBA where you get to love a player and he's traded.
All that being said, as I make the thread, I'm not sure who will start at point guard. I just know Rondo won't and that makes me sad. I'm not sure if the new players will be here and able to play or not. So, the starters and roster above is just a guess.
To make things more interesting tonight, the Timberwolves have agreed to a trade that will send their starting 2 guard to the Rockets for Troy Daniels. I'm going to guess that Shabazz Muhammad will replace Brewer in the starting lineup, but as with everything else, that's just a guess.
This will be the only visit to the Garden by the Wolves this season. They will meet again in Minnesota on January 28. The Wolves have been struggling, winning just 1 of their last 10 games. The Celtics are 5-5 in their last 10. The Celtics are 6-8 at home while the Wolves are just 2-9 on the road. Even though this should be a win for the Celtics, with the loss of Rondo and being short handed, it's going to be a tough game.
Key Matchups vs
Jeff Green vs Andrew Wiggins
Assuming that Jeff Green is still a Celtic by game time, he will be matched up with the number one pick in this year's draft. Wiggins is averaging 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.04 steals. He is shooting just 39.6% from the field. This would be a good time for Jeff to be aggressive and have a big game.
vs PF
Jared Sullinger vs Thaddeus Young
Sully played well against the Magic after suffering through an offensive slump in previous games. Young leads the Wolves in scoring with 14.5 points along with 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals. It would be good to see Sully continue to play well in this game and come up with a big game.
Keys to the GameDefense - The Celtics must defend. The offense feeds off of the defense and if the Celtics can't get stops they struggle on the other end as well. Their defense has improved in the past two games and hopefully it continues to improve in this game. Defense wins games.
Rebound - The Celtics must get rebounds to prevent second chance points and fast breaks. Rebounding takes effort and desire and the Celtics have got to show both and crash the boards as a team. Rondo was one of the teams better rebounders and other players have to step up to fill in that void.
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. When they are aggressive in going to the hoop good things happen. The Celtics have to play like they are the team that wants it more.
Set the Pace- The Celtics must run from the beginning of the game until the final buzzer. Running will allow them to get easy baskets as they get down the court before the defenses set up. Without Rondo to find the open man, this will be even more important.
X-Factors Trade Effects The trade will be a big x-factor. Will the new players be ready to play? And, even if they are able to play, how much can they help without knowing any of the plays? Will trading Rondo affect the chemistry on the team? When Perk was traded, the team was on top of the standings and proceeded to fall apart after the trade. Will the Celtics fall apart and go into the tank now? Or, will they rally around the remaining players and play harder and play well? So many questions that need answers.