Celtics (18-15) at Nets (10-23) Game #34 1/4/16

[FLCeltsFan]

  at 
Boston Celtics (18-15) at Brooklyn Nets (10-23)
Monday, January 4, 2016
7:30 pm ET
Game #34, Road Game #16
TV:  CSNNE, YES, NBA-LP 753(DTV)/753(xfinity)
98.5 Sports Hub, WCBS 880 AM
Barclays Center



Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Isaiah Thomas vs Shane Larkin

Shooting Guard
  vs 
Marcus Smart vs Bojan Bogdanovic

Small Forward
  vs 
Jae Crowder vs Joe Johnson

Power Forward
  vs 
Amir Johnson vs Thaddeus Young

Center
  vs 
Jared Sullinger vs Brook Lopez




Celtics Reserves
Evan Turner
Jonas Jerebko
David Lee
Jordan Mickey
Terry Rozier
James Young
Tyler Zeller
Kelly Olynyk

Head Coach
Brad Stevens

Injuries
RJ Hunter (shoulder) Game Time Decision
Avery Bradley (hip) out 
Jared Sullinger (banged up) probable
Amir Johnson (foot) probable


Nets Reserves
Andrea Bargnani
Markel Brown
Wayne Ellington
Sergey Karasev
Thomas Robinson
Donald Sloan

Head Coach
Lionel Hollins

Injuries
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (ankle) out
Chris McCullough (knee)  out
Jarrett Jack (knee) out

Game Notes
The Celtics complete the home and home series as they face the Nets for the second time in as many days.  In the first home and home between these two teams,  the Celtics won the first game at home big and then lost to the Nets in Brooklyn.  In this series, they lost the first game at home and hopefully they will turn the tables and will take this one in Brooklyn. 

Both teams lost a player in the first game.  Avery Bradley left the game with a hip contusion and has been ruled out for this game.  I'm guessing that Marcus Smart will get the start in Avery's place.  It's also possible that Evan Turner, who started the second half of Saturday's game, may start, but I'm thinking the Celtics need Smart's defense with the starters to replace Avery's defense.    For the Nets, Jarrett Jack left the game with what was first diagnosed as a sprained knee but later disclosed as a season ending ACL/MCL tear.   Shane Larkin is expected to start in his place.

Amir Johnson is still dealing with plantar fasciitis but is expected to continue to play through the pain.  Jared Sullinger is also dealing with various bumps and bruises but is also expected to continue to play.  The Nets will again be missing Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Chris McCullough along with Jack. 

The Celtics are coming off losses to two of the worst teams in the league.  First they lost to the Lakers and then to the Nets.   The biggest culprits in both losses were the lack of defense and aggressiveness on the part of the Celtics.  After that would be the penchant for shooting (and missing) 3 pointers. 

In spite of the two losses,  the Celtics are still hanging in at the 8th spot in the East,  just 1/2 a game ahead of Detroit,  and 1/2 a game behind Orlando.  In the tight Eastern Conference,  the Celtics need to get back on track, especially against the teams like the Nets that they should easily beat. 

Key Matchups
  vs 
Jared Sullinger vs Brook Lopez
Lopez is a challenge to defend.    He is averaging 19.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.  Lopez is one of only 2 players averaging 19+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 2+ blocks. Anthony Davis is the other.  Lopez had 23 points and 10 rebounds in the Nets earlier win over the Celtics and 30 points and 13 rebounds in their win on Saturday.  He was allowed to get to the basket at will in that game and the Celtics have to find a way to keep him away from the basket.   

  vs 
Amir Johnson vs Thaddeus Young
Young is averaging 15.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals.   In Saturday's game he had a double double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.    He can get hot and he is also a good rebounder and so the Celtics need to stay on him on defense and keep him off the boards.

Honorable Mention
Jae Crowder vs Joe Johnson
Johnson had been in a slump leading up to Saturday's game but seemed to find his stroke against the Celtics.   He finished with 20 points, but it did take him 19 shots to get them.  He did hit a couple of big 3's to stop the Celtics' run in the 4th quarter.   Jae needs to play tough defense to keep him from having a big game again.

Keys to the Game
Defense - The Celtics defense has been leaving much to be desired in the losses to the Lakers and Nets.   The Celtics allowed the Nets, a team averaging 97 points per game,  to score 31 points in the first quarter and that is inexcusable.  They have to get back to playing tough in your face team defense if they want to get back in the win column.  Defense wins games. 

Take the Ball Into the Paint -  The Celtics are in an entire team shooting slump.  The Celtics shot 32 three pointers and made just 7 of them.  They have to relying so much on the long ball and take the ball inside for a better percentage shot.   The Celtics are 7th in the league in 3 pointers attempted but 22nd in 3 pointers made.  That's not a good thing. 

Be Aggressive - In both of their recent losses, the Celtics lacked aggressiveness.  They allowed the Lakers first and then the Nets to be the more aggressive team.  The Celtics need to be the more aggressive team in going after loose balls, rebounds, 50/50 balls, and in going to the basket.  They also have to be aggressive on defense.  They have to be the team that wants it more and they have to play that way for 48 minutes and not just when they are mounting a comeback at the end of the game. 

Play as a Team - The Celtics had just 17 assists in their loss to the Nets on Saturday.  Too many players were trying to make the home-run play instead of moving the ball and making the extra pass to get the best shot.   When the Celtics' assists are up,  they usually get a win and when they are down,  it's usually a loss because they aren't playing team ball.

Rebound - The Celtics need the ball in order to score.  They need to rebound on the offensive end to give themselves extra possessions and to keep the Nets from getting fast break points.  They also need to rebound on the defensive end to keep the Nets from getting second chance points.  They allowed way too many tip ins and second chance baskets for the Nets in Saturday's game. 

X-Factors
Celtic Pride - The Celtics have lost their last 2 games to teams they should have easily beaten with their normal effort and team play.  They need to reach deep down and draw on their Celtic Pride and focus on playing team ball and tough defense and get a win in this one.  Tying the series with the Nets would be bad,  but losing the series 1-3 would be inexcusable. 

Officiating - Officiating is a factor in every single game played in the NBA. Every crew has their own biases and their own way of officiating and many times it affects the way the game is played.  In Saturday's game,  the officials called the game inconsistently and there were bad calls going both ways all game.  They called a lot of minor contact and there was little flow to the game.  The Celtics play better when the refs let them play and aren't tyrants with the whistle and when the calls are consistent. 

Road Game - Usually I would say that  home game would give the Celtics a boost,  but for some reason,  they have been playing better on the road.  With a 9-9 home record and a 9-6 road record,  the Celtics seem to be playing better on the road. 

[csfansince60s]

TP, FLCelts.

Hope those scarves mean the Nets are cold and not us.

They won't beat us again.

Go Cs!

EDIT: Going to the game vs Pistons on Wednesday! Looking forward to what you have to say about that game!

Thank you for what you do!

[FLCeltsFan]

TP csfansince60s for being the first to post in the game thread!   I hope you are right and the Celtics win this one!!!  Goooo Celtics!!! 

[apc]

They won't beat us again.

I sure hope so, i don't share your confidence.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'm watching this game full monty from start to finish, so we should win.

[trickybilly]

I'm watching this game full monty from start to finish, so we should win.

Pretty sure you deserve a TP for that, i think..

[PhoSita]

There are no such thing as "must win" games this early in the season, but losing three straight to the Nets and Lakers would be quite a blow to this team. 

Hopefully they take advantage of the Nets' lack of decent point guards now that Jack is out.

I'm also hoping to see more Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk in this game.  Gotta take advantage of what size we have.

[TA9]

Lopez will probably score a ton of points on us today, but we have to take advantage of their point guard situation. Lets goooo!

[BudweiserCeltic]

There are no such thing as "must win" games this early in the season, but losing three straight to the Nets and Lakers would be quite a blow to this team. 

Hopefully they take advantage of the Nets' lack of decent point guards now that Jack is out.

I'm also hoping to see more Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk in this game.  Gotta take advantage of what size we have.

I'd like to see more of Olynyk myself as well. Problem last game was that he was terrible defensively, one of the worst defensive performances I've seen from him this year  (and I'm in the camp that think his defense has improved quite a bit this season). Main reason he was benched early and couldn't get off it much.

That said, if we continue to struggle to defend Lopez. If Stevens decides to go small. With the exception of Amir and maybe Sully (not a fan of Sully in small ball units, but I don't have much of a problem if it's against the Nets), I'd love to roll the dice with Olynyk being the sole big out there if he's hitting his shots.

I mean, I don't think he could do any worse than Lee defending Lopez... but at least he might help bring  more life to that small ball unit offensively.

[Surferdad]

There are no such thing as "must win" games this early in the season, but losing three straight to the Nets and Lakers would be quite a blow to this team. 

Hopefully they take advantage of the Nets' lack of decent point guards now that Jack is out.

I'm also hoping to see more Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk in this game.  Gotta take advantage of what size we have.

I'd like to see more of Olynyk myself as well. Problem last game was that he was terrible defensively, one of the worst defensive performances I've seen from him this year  (and I'm in the camp that think his defense has improved quite a bit this season). Main reason he was benched early and couldn't get off it much.

That said, if we continue to struggle to defend Lopez. If Stevens decides to go small. With the exception of Amir and maybe Sully (not a fan of Sully in small ball units, but I don't have much of a problem if it's against the Nets), I'd love to roll the dice with Olynyk being the sole big out there if he's hitting his shots.

I mean, I don't think he could do any worse than Lee defending Lopez... but at least he might help bring  more life to that small ball unit offensively.

No way. KO as the only big in a small ball lineup is absolute suicide. You said yourself that he struggled defensively.  At least Lee is a vet and should defend better.

I also disagree that there is no way they lose a third game in a row against an opponent with a lousy record. Why not?  Many teams with poor records are coming around now, like the Knicks and Lakers and even Philly.  Beyond that, Celtics had a built-in extra motivation, yet they played one of their worst games of the year.

[mctyson]

Just wanted to note tonight that as bad as the Cs have played against the Nets, Lakers and other dregs of the league...and as mediocre (.500) as they have been at HOME...

If Toronto loses tonight against Cleveland and the Cs beat the Nets, they are tied in the loss column.

Things still look good for this franchise the rest of the season.

[BudweiserCeltic]

There are no such thing as "must win" games this early in the season, but losing three straight to the Nets and Lakers would be quite a blow to this team. 

Hopefully they take advantage of the Nets' lack of decent point guards now that Jack is out.

I'm also hoping to see more Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk in this game.  Gotta take advantage of what size we have.

I'd like to see more of Olynyk myself as well. Problem last game was that he was terrible defensively, one of the worst defensive performances I've seen from him this year  (and I'm in the camp that think his defense has improved quite a bit this season). Main reason he was benched early and couldn't get off it much.

That said, if we continue to struggle to defend Lopez. If Stevens decides to go small. With the exception of Amir and maybe Sully (not a fan of Sully in small ball units, but I don't have much of a problem if it's against the Nets), I'd love to roll the dice with Olynyk being the sole big out there if he's hitting his shots.

I mean, I don't think he could do any worse than Lee defending Lopez... but at least he might help bring  more life to that small ball unit offensively.

No way. KO as the only big in a small ball lineup is absolute suicide. You said yourself that he struggled defensively.  At least Lee is a vet and should defend better.

I also disagree that there is no way they lose a third game in a row against an opponent with a lousy record. Why not?  Many teams with poor records are coming around now, like the Knicks and Lakers and even Philly.  Beyond that, Celtics had a built-in extra motivation, yet they played one of their worst games of the year.

Lee is a worse defender than Olynyk and substantially so this year. Also as I mentioned if Lee is giving you zero defensively and zero offensively, if you put a gun to my head (and the assumption that Olynyk would be a zero defensively against Lopez as well) I'll roll the dice on him being a better option to our offensive side.

So you lose nothing in the defensive because Lee sucks as it is... I mean, really we're going to take Lee's side on a defensive argument?.. but potentially gain plenty in the offensive end (as I mention if Olynyk is having one of his good shooting nights which have been quite frequent as of late), then Olynyk is the guy you put on the floor between those two.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Olynyk to start for "dinged up" Sullinger (he'll be available off the bench).

Turner to start for Bradley.

-Forsberg

[The Oracle]

Olynyk to start for "dinged up" Sullinger (he'll be available off the bench).

Turner to start for Bradley.

-Forsberg

K.O. and Amir have been really good defensively together this year.  They are +26 pts. in only 100 minutes together.  If the offense had been any good when they were on the floor together the #'s would be even better.  This lineup including Turner should be dominant against Brooklyn especially defensively.  Put the rock in K.O.'s hands a lot and spread them out.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Olynyk to start for "dinged up" Sullinger (he'll be available off the bench).

Turner to start for Bradley.

-Forsberg

K.O. and Amir have been really good defensively together this year.  They are +26 pts. in only 100 minutes together.  If the offense had been any good when they were on the floor together the #'s would be even better.  This lineup including Turner should be dominant against Brooklyn especially defensively.  Put the rock in K.O.'s hands a lot and spread them out.

Yep, I've made this observations before. Those two together have been good defensively.

I do worry with KO on Young though... during last night's game KO seemed unable to keep up with him. So we'll see how that goes. Could barely stay in the floor last night despite seeming to be shooting well.

Hopefully Amir can do a better job guarding Lopez tonight.

With the inclusion of Turner in our line-up, and Sullinger in a shooting slump as it is, it more than makes sense to put Kelly up there. Someone who can spread the floor.

But I've said it before I like Amir and Olynyk together, also out of all the bigs we have, the only big Lee has actually played well with (unit wise) it's been when he's been paired with Sullinger.

So I have no complaints for the choices made in this game or in the experiment in general (I've suggested it prior to this as it is). I just hope this isn't Stevens having knee jerk reactions to two loses... it would be weak of him to do so.