at
Boston Celtics (32-23) at Utah Jazz (26-27)
Friday, February 19, 2016
10:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #56 Road Game #29
TV: ESPN, CSN-NE, ROOT, NBA-TV Canada
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, KZNS, Sirius 215
Vivint Smart Home Arena
Probable Starters 
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Jared Sullinger
Celtics ReservesEvan Turner
RJ Hunter
Jonas Jerebko
David Lee
Terry Rozier
James Young
Tyler Zeller
Marcus Smart
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
InjuriesJordan Mickey (ankle) out
Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) out
Probable Starters 
PG: Raul Neto
SG: Rodney Hood
SF: Gordon Hayward
PF: Derrick Favors
C: Rudy Gobert
Jazz Reserves Trevor Booker
Trey Burke
Joe Ingles
Trey Lyles
Tibor Pleiss
Jeff Withey
Shelvin Mack
Injuries Chris Johnson (toe) game time decision
Alec Burks (leg) out
Dante Exum (knee) out
Head CoachQuin Snyder
Game NotesThe Celtics begin their post All Star break 3 game Western road trip with a stop in Utah to take on the Jazz. After all the rumors and talk of big trades, the Celtics stood pat and are finishing the season with the team that got them this far. David Lee's status is still up in the air but basically they are going to let this group see how far they can go and grow together for the rest of the season. The Jazz made a minor move to acquire the former Red Claws guard, Shelvin Mack from Atlanta for a 2nd round draft pick.
Both the Celtics and the Jazz went into the break winning 8 of their last 10 games. The Celtics are 15-13 on the road while the Jazz have played pretty well at home with a 17-10 record. The Celtics won the season series 2-0 last season. The Celtics won 99-90 on their home court and won 85-84 on a last second Tyler Zeller layup in Utah.
Back when the winter storm hit the Eastern coast, the Celtics and Wizards postponed games. The Celtics played theirs the next night but the Wizards/Jazz game was postponed to Thursday after the All Star break. That means that the Jazz are playing in the second of back to back games after playing in Washington on Thursday night. The Jazz are 5-6 on the second night of back to backs and 1-2 when the games are road/home.
The Celtics will be without Kelly Olynyk who is still out with the shoulder injury that he suffered before the break. Originally it was diagnosed as a bruise but Kelly got a second opinion and now it appears he will be out for a couple of weeks but won't need surgery on it. The Celtics were expected to send Hunter, Mickey and Rozier to the Red Claws to get some playing time while the Celtics are on this road trip.
For the Jazz, former Celtic, Chris Johnson (toe) is a game time decision. Alec Burks (leg) and Dante Exum (knee) are both out. It's not known at this time whether Shelvin Mack will be with the team and able to play.
Key Matchups 
vs
Jae Crowder vs Gordon Hayward
Brad Stevens' former Butler player, Gordon Hayward is leading the Jazz with 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Jae should be energized by the break and by coming back with the same Celtics' group as before the break. If Jae can slow Hayward down, it will give the Celtics a good chance to grab a win in this one.
vs
Amir Johnson vs Derrick Favors
Favors is averaging 16.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Amir needs to slow him down and make him work on both ends of the court.
Honorable Mention Jared Sullinger vs Rudy Gobert
Gobert is averaging 10.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. Jared needs to draw him away from the basket and use that bulk of his to keep Gobert out of the paint and away from his comfort zone.
Keys to the Game Rebound - Much of rebounding is effort and when the Celtics put out that effort on the boards, we see it in the other areas of the game. The Celtics are 7th in the league with 45.1 rebounds per game while the Jazz are 21st with 42.7 rebounds per game. The Celtics need to box out and put out the effort to win the battle of the boards.
Take Care of the Ball - On the road, it's easy to lose focus and turn the ball over too much. They have to take care of the ball, make smart passes, and limit their turnovers. The Jazz average 16.1 points off of turnovers and the Celtics don't want to give them extra points by getting careless with the ball.
Play 48 Minutes - The Celtics can't afford to dig a hole at the beginning of the game and they can't let up at the end and lose focus and miss shots and allow the Jazz to score. They also can't afford those periods in the game where they turn the ball over and lose their focus. They have to play hard from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
Defense - Defense is the key to winning each and every game. The Celtics must play the swarming team defense that they have tried to make their priority this season. Defense wins games and it has to come from every player.
Play as a Team - Before the trade deadline, Jae had this to say about the Celtics' need for a superstar player: “All 5 guys on the court are so locked in, so engaged that we’re 1 superstar.” The Celtics strength is their ability to play as a team and to work together. They have to move the ball and find the open man and not lapse into hero ball.
X-Factors Focus Factor and Fatigue Factor - The Celtics have been off since before the break and hopefully they will be focused on getting back to work and getting a win in this game. They have to block out the distractions of the road and focus on getting the win. The Celtics have been in Utah practicing and waiting for the Jazz while the Jazz had to travel to Washington and play the Wizards and travel back overnight. Fatigue may be a factor for them down the stretch.
Officiating Factor - The officiating is an x factor for every game. Every officiating crew calls games differently. Some call every little foul making it difficult to get any rhythm and some let the teams play. Some refs have an agenda and call the game for or against a particular team or player or to favor the home team. And there are always star calls no matter who the referees are. Regardless of how the game is called, the Celtics need to play through it and keep their focus.
Topic: Celtics (32-23) at Jazz (26-27) Game #56 2/19/16 (Read 42129 times)