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The Celtics proceed their Western street journey in Denver as they tackle the Nuggets. That is the ultimate recreation between these two groups. The Celtics beat the Nuggets 108-102 after they met in Boston on February 11. The Celtics had been with out Theis in that recreation because it was simply after the commerce deadline. Denver was with out Porter, Morris, Murray and Cancar.
The Celtics received the collection final season 2-0 with every staff successful on the street. The Celtics are 56-37 all time total towards the Nuggets. They’re 19-28 all time when taking part in in Denver. The Celtics have received their final 4 video games towards the Nuggets. Denver has received 12 out of their final 16 video games whereas the Celtics have received 20 of their final 24 video games.
Each groups have the identical beginning fives as they did within the recreation in Boston aside from Monte Morris beginning at level guard for the Nuggets. Morris was out with a concussion in Boston and Bones Hyland began for him. The Celtics are taking part in on the primary night time of again to again video games. They’re 6-6 within the first of again to again video games and they’re 3-3 when each video games are on the street. They’ve 2 again to again units left after this one.
The Celtics are taking part in within the third recreation of a 4 recreation Western street journey. They’re 2-0 to this point with wins over the Warriors and the Kings. They’ll end the journey on Monday in Oklahoma Metropolis. They’ve 5 street video games and 5 dwelling video games left after this recreation. These video games embrace essential video games that might decide their playoff place together with 3 on the street towards Toronto, Chicago and Milwaukee and one at dwelling towards the Warmth.
The Nuggets simply completed a 3 recreation street journey on which they went 2-1. They received at Philadelphia and Washington and misplaced in Cleveland on Friday. That is the primary of a 4 recreation dwelling stand for the Nuggets. After the Celtics, they are going to host the Clippers, Suns , and the Thunder. They’ve 8 dwelling video games and three video games on the street remaining this season.
Aaron Nesmith has missed about 2 weeks with an ankle damage. He’s anticipated to be accessible to play on this recreation. Even when he’s accessible, he’ll possible be on a minutes restriction and even when wholesome, he didn’t play huge minutes. The Nuggets might be with out Vlatko Cancar (foot), Jamal Murray (knee), Michael Porter, Jr. (again) and Zeke Nnaji (knee).
Possible Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Grant Williams
Derrick White
Daniel Theis
Luke Kornet
Sam Hauser
Malik Fitts
Nick Stauskas
Accidents
Aaron Nesmith (ankle) possible
Two-Manner Gamers
Brodric Thomas
Matt Ryan
Head Coach
Ime Udoka
Possible Nuggets Starters
Nuggets Reserves
Facundo Campazzo
DeMarcus Cousins
Bryn Forbes
JaMychal Inexperienced
Bones Hyland
Austin Rivers
Accidents
Vlatko Cancar (foot) out
Jamal Murray (knee) out
Michael Porter, Jr (again) out
Zeke Nnaji (knee) questionable
Two-Manner Gamers
Markus Howard
Davon Reed
Head Coach
Michael Malone
Key Matchups
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Robert Williams III
Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Photographs
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Nikola Jokic
Picture by Matthew Stockman/Getty Photographs
Robert Williams III vs Nikola Jokic
Jokic is unattainable to cease however the Celtics should attempt to sluggish him down. He’s averaging 26.0 factors, 13.8 rebounds and eight.1 assists. He’s capturing 57.5% from the sector and 34.8% from past the arc. He had 23 factors, 16 rebounds and 11 assists within the first recreation between these two groups. He’s coming off a 32 level, 10 rebound, 8 help recreation towards the Cavs on Friday night time. Robert Williams wants an enormous recreation defensively for the Celtics to have an opportunity on this one.
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Jaylen Brown
Picture by Omar Rawlings/Getty Photographs
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Will Barton
Picture by Scott Taetsch/Getty Photographs
Jaylen Brown vs Will Barton
Barton is averaging 14.8 factors, 4.8 rebounds, and three.8 assists. He’s capturing 43.5% from the sector and 35.7% from past the arc. He’s the longest tenured Nugget with 8 seasons with the staff. He’s the staff’s all time chief in 3 pointers. The Celtics will want one other huge recreation from Jaylen Brown on each ends of the court docket.
Honorable Point out
Jayson Tatum vs Aaron Gordon
Gordon is averaging 14.3 factors, 5.6 rebounds, and a pair of.5 assists. He’s capturing 51.1% from the sector and 31.0% from past the arc. Gordon is able to placing up factors in a rush and Jayson must play nicely on each ends of the court docket as soon as once more for the Celtics to get this win.
Keys to the Sport
Protection – Protection is the important thing to each recreation. The Celtics are tops within the league with a defensive score of 105.4 and so they have changed into the protection first staff that we had hoped they’d. The Nuggets have a defensive score of 110.0, which is thirteenth. The Celtics common 109.7 factors per recreation whereas the Nuggets common 111.4 factors per recreation. The Celtics have to proceed to make protection a precedence.
Rebound – Rebounding is one other key to successful each recreation. The Celtics are fifth within the league, averaging 46.4 rebounds per recreation. The Nuggets are 18th within the league with 44.2 rebounds per recreation. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics should work tougher to seize rebounds to restrict the Nuggets second probability factors and quick breaks. The Celtics can’t enable the Nuggets to outwork them on the boards.
Effort and Vitality – The Celtics have to be the extra aggressive staff. They should struggle for free balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and simply play tougher than the Nuggets for the whole recreation. The Celtics have been successful video games with additional effort and excessive vitality. They should be the staff that desires it extra and play prefer it. They particularly have to start the sport with vitality and never enable the Nuggets to get an early lead. The Celtics want to manage the sport proper from the start and play laborious proper up till the ultimate buzzer.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are at their greatest after they transfer the ball and get the very best shot on every possession. They’re 15-2 after they have 28 or extra assists per recreation. They should play as a staff and share the ball, trusting their teammates to make the fitting play. They should be cautious when shifting the ball although and never flip it over because the Nuggets common 15.6 factors off turnovers per recreation.
X-Elements
Altitude – It’s powerful to win in Denver due to the altitude that the groups are taking part in at. Denver known as the Mile Excessive Metropolis as a result of it’s 5,280 toes above sea degree. Nuggets gamers are used to the altitude however visiting groups typically wrestle with taking part in there and infrequently are fatigued earlier than the top of the sport. It’s a very distinctive dwelling court docket benefit.
Officiating – I do know that I say this each recreation, however the officiating can at all times be an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport otherwise whether or not they name each little ticky tack foul or they let a number of contact go and let the groups play. Some refs are fast to name technical fouls for little or nothing. The Celtics have gotten to regulate to the best way the sport is being known as and never let the calls have an effect on their focus or their play. In addition they have to hold their minds on the sport and never always complain concerning the calls.
DraftKings
According to our friends at DraftKings, the Celtics are 2.5-points underdogs in Denver tonight. If Boston’s turnaround and stand up the Japanese Convention has been spectacular, so has the Nuggets’ skill all yr to climate accidents to their greatest gamers (Jamal Murray and Michael Porter, Jr.) and nonetheless be one of many West’s greatest groups. Just like the Celtics, they’ve been taking part in their greatest basketball because the new yr and are a powerful 11-4 over their final fifteen, together with an enormous win in Philadelphia on Monday.
Clearly, every thing revolves round Jokic. A month in the past at TD Backyard, the Celtics got here again from a nine-point halftime deficit to seize a 108-102 win, partially to Boston’s swarming protection producing 21 turnovers on the night time. Jokic registered a 23-point, 16-rebound, and 11-assist triple-double, however his 9 turnovers plagued Denver. For Boston to steal a recreation at Mile Excessive, they’ll once more want Robert Williams to concurrently be the free security defender that’s flying all around the court docket and be disciplined along with his one-on-one protection on the MVP.
Try DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook associate of SB Nation.
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