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The Celtics proceed their street journey with their second straight recreation in Atlanta towards the Hawks. That is the 4th and last recreation between these two groups this season. The Celtics received the primary two video games this season towards Atlanta – 113-103 on Nov. 26 and 125-117 on Feb. 7 with each video games performed in Boston. They misplaced the third recreation 120-118 in Atlanta on Monday, after blowing a 30 level lead.
The Celtics received the collection 3-0 final season and lead this season 2-1 going into this 4th recreation. The Celtics are 244 -1488 general all time towards the Hawks and they’re 112-94 in video games performed in Atlanta. The Celtics have been off since Monday’s recreation whereas the Hawks are enjoying on the second night time of again to again video games, having performed Portland on Wednesday. The Hawks are 7-5 within the 2nd of again to again video games.
The Celtics stay 1st within the East, 11 video games forward of 2nd place Milwaukee, 13 video games forward of third place New York, 13.5 video games forward of 4th place Cleveland, 15 video games forward of fifth place Orlando, and 17 video games forward of sixth place Indiana. They’re 25-12 on the street and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 38-8 towards Japanese Convention groups and misplaced their final recreation after successful the earlier 9 video games.
The Hawks are tenth within the East and are within the last play-in spot. They’re 6 video games behind seventh place Miami, 5.5 video games behind eighth place Philadelphia, and 1 recreation behind ninth place Chicago for house courtroom within the first play in recreation. They’re 5.5 video games forward of eleventh place Brooklyn and falling out of play-in rivalry. The Hawks are 18-17 at house and 5-5 within the final 10 video games. They’re 19-26 towards Japanese Convention groups and received their final 3 video games.
The Celtics are enjoying within the fourth recreation of a 6 recreation street journey. After this recreation in Atlanta, they’ll then will play New Orleans and Charlotte earlier than returning house for 3 video games towards Oklahoma Metropolis, Sacramento, and Portland. Then it’s one recreation on the street in Milwaukee earlier than ending the season at house towards New York, Charlotte and Washington.
The Hawks are enjoying within the fourth recreation of a 5 recreation house stand. They beat Charlotte by 41 factors within the first recreation of the house stand after which beat the Celtics by 2 after getting back from being down 30 level. They beat Portland on Wednesday within the third recreation of the house stand. They’ll shut out the house stand towards the Bucks. Then, it’s one recreation at Chicago and residential once more vs Detroit earlier than happening the street once more to Dallas and Denver. Then it’s again house vs Miami and Charlotte and they’re going to end the season on the street towards Minnesota and Indiana.
After staggering gamers over the past a number of video games, I’m anticipating many of the gamers to be again within the beginning lineup. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis are all off the harm report as of now. Jrue Vacation missed the final 5 video games with a shoulder harm however participated in apply on Wednesday and is questionable for this recreation.
Al Horford Horford is out because of a left massive toe sprain. Jaden Springer is out with a knee harm. I’m going to guess that the beginning lineup is again collectively for this recreation. If not, it’s subsequent to inconceivable to guess what Joe Mazzulla will do if any of them are out. I by no means would have guessed the beginning lineup for the final recreation with Tatum on the level.
The Hawks have 8 gamers on the harm report right now. Saddiq Bey (knee), Kobe Bufkin (toe), AJ Griffin (ankle), Jalen Johnson (ankle), and Trae Younger (finger), Mouhamed Gueye (elbow) and Onyeka Okongwu (toe) are all out for this recreation. Dejounte Murray (again) is questionable. I’ve included the starters listed of their recreation report.
Possible Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Svi Mykhailiuk
Al Horford
Jordan Walsh
Xavier Tillman
Jaden Springer
2 Approach Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta
Accidents/Out
Al Horford (toe) out
Jrue Vacation (shoulder) questionable
Jaden Springer (knee) out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Possible Hawks Starters
Hawks Reserves
Bruno Fernando
Trent Forrest
Garrison Mathews
Wesley Matthews
2 Approach Gamers
Vit Krejci
Seth Lundy
Dylan Windler
Accidents/Out
Saddiq Bey (knee) out
Kobe Bufkin (toe) out
AJ Griffin (ankle) out
Mouhamed Gueye (elbow) out
Jalen Johnson (ankle) out
Onyeka Okongwu (toe) out
Trae Younger (finger) out
Dejounte Murray (again) questionable
Head Coach
Quin Snyder
Key Matchups
Jrue Vacation vs Dejounte Murray
Murray is averaging 22.3 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 46.5% from the sphere and 36.8% from past the arc. Murray can be one of many Hawks greatest defenders. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, he completed with 6 factors, 4 rebounds and three assists. He shot simply 15.4% from the sphere and didn’t shoot a 3. He didn’t play within the second assembly between these two groups. On Monday, he completed with 19 factors, 5 rebounds, 15 assists and three steals.
Derrick White vs Bogdan Bogdanovic
Bogdanovic is averaging 16.5 factors, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals. He’s taking pictures 42.3% from the sphere and 37.4% from past the arc. Within the first 2 video games towards the Celtics, he averaged 17.5 factors, 6.5 rebounds 1.5 assists and 1 steal, whereas taking pictures 43.3% from the sphere and 45.3% on 3 pointers. On Monday, he completed with 22 factors, whereas taking pictures 8-15 from the sphere and 4-7 on threes. He additionally had 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.
Honorable Point out
Jayson Tatum vs De’Andre Hunter
Hunter is averaging 15.5 factors, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 46.7% from the sphere and 40.2% from past the arc. Within the first 2 video games towards the Celtics, he averaged 17 factors, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists whereas taking pictures 43.5% from the sphere and 40% from past the arc. On Monday, he completed with 24 factors, 7 rebounds and three assists. He was 8-14 from the sphere and 4-8 from past the arc.
Keys to the Sport
Protection – Protection is at all times a key to successful video games. Protection is very essential for the Celtics on this recreation as a result of the Hawks are an excellent scoring crew, averaging 119.2 factors per recreation, which is fifth within the league. The Celtics are 2nd, averaging 121.2 factors per recreation. The Celtics have a defensive score of 110.5 which is 2nd whereas the Hawks have a defensive score of 118.6, which is twenty sixth. The Celtics allowed the Hawks to shoot 52.9% from the sphere and 50% from past the arc on Monday and so they should do higher than that in the event that they wish to win this recreation. The Celtics should make protection a precedence on this recreation and so they should play that powerful protection for 48 minutes and never let up. They will’t permit missed pictures to have an effect on their effort on protection.
Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is a key to successful. A lot of rebounding is effort and need. When the Celtics put out the additional effort on the boards, it normally carries via to the remainder of their recreation. The Hawks are averaging 44.7 rebounds per recreation (sixth) whereas the Celtics are averaging 46.5 rebounds per recreation (2nd). The Hawks out rebounded the Celtics 44-38 on Monday. The Celtics must aggressively go after each rebound. They will’t afford to present the Hawks further possessions and 2nd probability factors by permitting them to beat them to rebounds.
Be Aggressive – The Hawks play exhausting and on Monday, the Celtics allowed them to play more durable than them. The Hawks have been the extra aggressive crew and so they performed more durable and with extra vitality and the Celtics misplaced. The Celtics have to be the crew that performs more durable and that wishes this win extra. They should be aggressive in diving for unfastened balls, in going to the basket, in getting stops on the defensive finish, and in going after rebounds. The Celtics should be aggressive and play exhausting for 48 minutes with no let up.
Tempo and Ball Motion – The Celtics are among the many leaders in tempo within the first quarter however are 2nd to final in tempo within the 4th quarter. They moved the ball and attacked mismatches and located open pictures within the first half on Monday, however stopped transferring the ball and slowed the sport down and and had too many iso performs within the second half. They slowed it down a lot that Jayson Tatum even obtained an 8 second violation whereas strolling the ball up the courtroom, at a time when they need to have been selecting up the tempo and transferring the ball.
X-Components
Street Sport and Fatigue – The Celtics are enjoying on the street and can have the distractions of journey and a resort keep and enjoying in entrance of hostile followers in an unfamiliar enviornment. Nonetheless, that they had 2 days off since their final recreation after enjoying 6 video games in 9 days. The Celtics have been enjoying brief handed in most of these video games. The Hawks are enjoying on the second night time of again to again video games and are additionally enjoying brief handed. Fatigue may come into play down the stretch on this recreation.
Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport a bit of in another way with some calling it tight and others letting them play. Some refs simply make head scratching calls whereas others strive very exhausting to get them proper. Generally they’re tech loopy for each little factor. In some video games they name the two halves utterly in another way. The Celtics have to regulate to how the sport is being known as and concentrate on enjoying the sport and never on the officiating.
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