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The Celtics host the Detroit Pistons for the second of 4 video games this season. The Celtics gained the primary sport 102-93 at Detroit on February 4. The Celtics led that sport from begin to end and held the Pistons to 31 factors within the first half. These two groups will meet once more on February 26 in Detroit and on March 11 in Boston. The Celtics gained the sequence 2-1 final season. The Pistons final gained the sequence in 2013-14. The Pistons have gained at the very least one sport in Boston in 7 of the final 8 seasons.
The Celtics are sixth within the East and with their 9 sport win streak are climbing within the standings. They’re 9-1 of their final 10 video games and 20-10 at dwelling. They’re 24-14 towards different Japanese Convention groups. With their win over Philadelphia on Tuesday, they’re simply 1 sport behind the fifth place Sixers. They’re 1.5 video games behind third place Cleveland. They’re simply 4 video games out of first place. They’re now 1.5 video games forward of seventh place Toronto.
The Pistons are fifteenth within the East and they’re final within the league as properly. They’ve misplaced their final 8 video games and are 1-9 of their final 10 video games. They’re 4-25 on the street and 8-23 towards different Japanese Convention groups. They’re tied with 14th place Orlando and 6.5 video games behind thirteenth place Indiana. They’re 3.5 video games forward of Houston, the final place workforce within the Western Convention.
The Celtics are taking part in on the second evening of again to again video games after taking part in in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening. The Celtics are 7-3 on the second evening of again to again video games and they’re 1-0 when the video games are street/dwelling. That is the final sport earlier than the All Star break for each groups. The Celtics will start a 3 sport street journey by way of Brooklyn, Detroit and Indiana on February 24. Detroit is taking part in the 2nd sport of a 2 sport street journey. They are going to start a 2 sport dwelling stand on 2/24 with the second sport being these similar Celtics.
Marcus Sensible was questionable on Tuesday however ended up taking part in. Within the second quarter he went down with what the Celtics reported as a sprained ankle and was dominated out for the remainder of the sport. He’s uncertain for this sport. I’m going to guess that Derrick White will get the beginning as a result of he began the second half final evening, however Ime very properly may begin Payton Pritchard. Robert Williams missed Tuesday’s sport with calf tightness and can also be uncertain for this sport. I’m guessing that Grant Williams begins once more but it surely’s doable that Daniel Theis will get the beginning. For the Pistons, Frank Jackson (again) and Isaiah Livers (foot) are each out and Jamorko Pickett (toe) is questionable.
Possible Celtics Starters
PG: Derrick White
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Grant Williams
C: Al Horford
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Aaron Nesmith
Daniel Theis
Luke Kornet
Sam Hauser
Accidents
Marcus Sensible (ankle) questionable
Robert Williams III (calf tightness) questionable
Two-Method Gamers
Brodric Thomas
Head Coach
Ime Udoka
Possible Pistons Starters
PG: Cory Joseph
SG: Cade Cunningham
SF: Saddiq Bey
PF: Jerami Grant
C: Isaiah Stewart
Pistons Reserves
Marvin Bagley III
Hamidou Diallo
Luka Garza
Killian Hayes
Frank Jackson
Saben Lee
Rodney McGruder
Kelly Olynyk
Accidents
Frank Jackson (again) out
Jamorko Pickett (toe) questionable
Isaiah Livers (foot) out
Two-Method Gamers
Jamorko Pickett
Chris Smith
Head Coach
Dwane Casey
Key Matchups
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Grant Williams
Photograph by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Photographs
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Jerami Grant
Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photographs
Grant Williams vs Jerami Grant
Grant is the Pistons’ greatest participant and slowing him down can be key to beating the Pistons. He’s averaging 18.8 factors, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per sport. He’s taking pictures 41.0% from the sphere and 32.7% from past the arc. He scored simply 10 factors within the first sport on February 4 and the Celtics must restrict him once more on this sport.
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Jaylen Brown
Photograph by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs
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Cade Cunningham
Photograph by Stephen Gosling/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs
Jaylen Brown vs Cade Cunningham
Cunningham is averaging 15.6 factors, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals. He’s taking pictures 39.5% from the sphere and 32.3% from past the arc. Cunningham, the highest decide within the draft, missed the primary sport between these two groups. The Celtics must play the him powerful to maintain him from having a giant sport.
Honorable Point out
Jayson Tatum vs Saddiq Bey
Bey is averaging 15.9 factors, 5.7 rebounds, and a pair of.8 assists per sport. He’s taking pictures 38.6% from the sphere and 34.0% from past the arc. He scored 21 factors within the first sport between these two groups. The Celtics want Jayson Tatum to play like an All Star on each ends of the court docket on this one.
Keys to the Sport
Protection – Protection at all times can be key to profitable. The Celtics are 2nd within the league with a 105.0 defensive score whereas the Pistons are twenty fifth with a defensive score of 113.0. The Celtics held the Pistons to 31 factors within the first half of their first assembly and have been profitable video games with their protection. They’ve to return into this sport with the mindset that they should play powerful protection whatever the Pistons’ report.
Rebound – Rebounding is vital to provide the Celtics further possessions and to restrict possessions for his or her opponents. The Celtics are averaging 46.8 rebounds per sport (2nd) whereas the Pistons are averaging 42.8 rebounds (twenty eighth). Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics want to provide further effort to beat the Pistons to rebounds. After they present further effort on the boards, it typically reveals up in different areas of the sport as properly.
Bench Play – The Pistons are 4th within the league in bench scoring with 38.7 factors per sport from their reserves. The Celtics at occasions battle when their starters sit, particularly when Marcus Sensible is off the court docket. The Celtics must get good manufacturing from their reserves on each ends of the court docket, particularly on protection. The Pistons have former Celtic Kelly Olynyk coming off their bench and, up to now, he has been motivated to have huge video games towards the Celtics. He’s averaging 9.4 factors per sport. The Celtics additionally must be careful for Hamidou Diallo who’s averaging 11.2 factors per sport and stuffed in for the injured Cade Cunningham within the first sport and led the Pistons with 21 factors and 14 rebounds.
Keep Centered – The Celtics should keep centered on taking part in the fitting manner. They should maintain the ball as a result of the Pistons are eighth within the league with 17.1 factors off of turnovers per sport. The Celtics should give attention to making crisp passes and on cautious ball dealing with. In addition they should give attention to taking good pictures and making them. The Celtics have to return into the sport centered and hold that focus all through the sport.
Don’t Underestimate – The Celtics have been taking part in arduous, particularly on the defensive finish. That has resulted in an 9 sport win streak. It could be simple to let up towards the worst workforce within the league however that might be a mistake. They’ll’t are available to this sport anticipating to get a win with out taking part in their greatest. They’ve misplaced video games that they need to have gained by not taking their opponents severely. They should play just like the Pistons are the very best workforce within the league as a result of on any given evening in the event you underestimate a workforce, they’ll beat you, irrespective of your data. The Pistons have overwhelmed Toronto, Milwaukee, Miami and Cleveland already this season and people wins have been probably as a result of their opponents underestimated them.
X-Components
Again to Again at Residence – The Celtics are taking part in on the second evening of again to again video games and needed to journey after taking part in on Tuesday. The Celtics are at dwelling and that must be a bonus for them whereas the Pistons have all of the distractions of taking part in on the street. Which workforce will deliver the main target and additional vitality to get the win?
Officiating – Officiating can at all times be an X-Issue. Some officers name it tight and others allow them to play. Some are good and others usually are not so good. In each sport there can be calls that frustrate gamers. Some officers can take the momentum out of a sport. The Celtics have to regulate their play to the best way the referees are calling the sport and never let dangerous calls or no calls take away their focus.
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