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Boston Celtics (11-9) at New Orleans Pelicans (5-15)
Monday, December 7, 2015
8:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #21 – Road Game #11
TV: CSN-NE, FSNOLA, NBA-TV
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, WRNO 99.5
Smoothie King Center
Probable Starters Point Guard 
Isaiah Thomas
Shooting Guard 
Avery Bradley
Small Forward 
Jae Crowder
Power Forward 
Amir Johnson
Center
Jared Sullinger
Celtics ReservesEvan Turner
RJ Hunter
Jonas Jerebko
David Lee
Terry Rozier
James Young
Kelly Olynyk
Jordan Mickey
Tyler Zeller
InjuriesMarcus Smart (leg) out
Head CoachBrad Stevens
Probable Starters
Point Guard 
Tyreke Evans
Shooting Guard 
Eric Gordon
Small Forward 
Alonzo Gee
Power Forward 
Anthony Davis
Center 
Omer Asik
Pelicans ReservesRyan Anderson
Jrue Holiday
Dante Cunningham
Norris Cole
Luke Babbitt
Alexis Ajinca
Tony Douglas
Ish Smith
Head Coach Alvin Gentry
InjuriesKendrick Perkins (pectoral) out
Quincy Pondexter (knee) out
Game Notes The Celtics make their final stop on their 5 game road trip in New Orleans to take on the Pelicans. The Celtics swept the series last season and ended a streak of 3 consecutive losses in New Orleans. The Celtics are 5-5 on the road overall and 2-2 on the current road trip. The Pelicans are 4-5 at home.
The Celtics shouldn't be fooled by the Pelicans' 5-15 record as they have been playing better and figuring out how to win tough games. They have won 3 of their last 4 at home, including a 104-90 home win over the San Antonio Spurs. They shouldn't be taken lightly, especially on the last stop of a lengthy road trip.
Former Celtic (and still one of my favorite players) Kendrick Perkins is on the injured list but is healing ahead of schedule and may be back on the court by the end of the week. But, I'll miss seeing him play in this one. Also out will be Quincy Pondexter with a knee injury. For the Celtics, Marcus Smart is still out with the leg injury and David Lee is questionable with a heel injury.
Key Matchups vs
Amir Johnson vs Anthony Davis
Davis is dominant and is averaging 23.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. In the two games against the Celtics last season, Davis averaged 31.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. Amir and Sully will have their work cut out for them trying to contain him.
vs
Avery Bradley vs Eric Gordon
Gordon is averaging 17 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3 assists. He is shooting 35% from beyond the arc and can get very hot if not guarded closely.
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense will always be the key to winning. The Celtics have got to play tough defense and get stops if they want to win this game. The Pelicans average 95.8 points on the road, but they average 110.1 at home. The Celtics have to play strong defense from start to finish to keep them from scoring at will.
Rebound - The Celtics have to crash the boards as a team. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics have to show that effort on the boards. When they put that extra effort out to dominate the boards, it often translates to all other areas of the game as well.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics have got to be aggressive in going to the basket, playing defense, diving for loose balls and just playing harder. Their effort and aggressiveness can make up for the lack of a superstar.
Run and Move the Ball - The Celtics play best when they run on every possession and also run back on defense to get set up before the Pelicans begin their offense. They also have to move the ball as when they over dribble and try to do too much individually, the offense gets stagnant. Run and Pass.
Focus - The Celtics are playing their 5th straight game on the road with a lot of travel in between. They need to keep their focus on the game and not on the hostile crowd and their road fatigue. Hopefully they will treat this like they do the back to back games and hunker down and get the win.
X-Factors Fatigue - The final game on a road trip is a tough one. Hopefully the Celtics can overcome the fatigue of all the travel and focus on the game at hand and not look forward to being home again.
Officiating - The officiating is always an x-factor. When the officials let them play and don't try to over control the game, the Celtics play best. Of course, there is always the chance of an official having a personal agenda or the league sending a message.
Topic: Celtics (11-9) at Pelicans (5-15) Game #21 12/7/15 (Read 36692 times)