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Together with the preseason, this would be the fourth time in simply over a month that the Celtics and Knicks lock horns. Boston spoiled Opening Night time at Madison Sq. Backyard again on October twenty fifth and can look to stay undefeated towards their Atlantic Division rival after dropping the common season sequence final yr 1-3.
Below head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks boast the second finest protection within the league at 104.7 factors per 100 possessions; the Celtics are third at 104.9. Boston squeaked out a win of their first assembly 108-104 hitting simply 12-of-39 from behind the arc and permitting New York to make 18-of-41 of their threes.
There’s actually some luck in terms of taking pictures percentages, notably within the first recreation, however enjoying with every group enjoying their tenth recreation of the season, identities are starting to type and solidify. It’s no shock {that a} Thibodeau-lead group has hung their on the defensive finish (despite the fact that they ranked simply nineteenth the yr prior). Their offense has taken a substantial hit largely to the taking pictures slumps of their two stars, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. The latter is making lower than 33.6% of his seventeen shot makes an attempt and averaging three turnovers recreation.
STARTERS
Jalen Brunson | Jrue Vacation
Quentin Grimes | Derrick White
RJ Barrett | Jaylen Brown
Julius Randle | Jayson Tatum
Mitchell Robinson | Kristaps Porzingis
BENCH ROTATION
Isaiah Hartenstein | Al Horford
Josh Hart | Payton Pritchard
Immanuel Quickley | Sam Hauser
Donte DiVincenzo | Oshae Brissett
In Boston, even at 7-2, it’s exhausting to say what precisely the Celtics are at this level of the yr. They’re successful video games, positive, however have they got an id? They by far have the best web score within the NBA at 13.4 with the third best offense (118.5) and protection (104.9). In our CelticsBlog Slack, I requested the employees in the event that they seen this group as an offensive juggernaut or defensive constrictor. Sam LaFrance steered that the protection is extra constant, however on nights when the nets are catching fireplace, none of that issues. In Saturday’s extinction of the Raptors, they held a group to below 100 factors for the primary time all yr and assisted on 30 of their 47 discipline objectives with simply 12 turnovers.
“We’re nonetheless to start with phases. Our chemistry is simply going to get so significantly better,” Porzingis mentioned on Saturday evening. “I’m telling you, it’s going to get so much higher.”
Again in October, the Knicks have been capable of whittle down double-digit leads all through the sport and have been up for almost all of the fourth quarter due to some well timed taking pictures and expensive turnovers. That’s a development that the Celtics have prevented of their final two blowouts of Brooklyn and Toronto this weekend with the emergence of the second unit.
If there’s an x-factor heading into tonight’s rematch, it is perhaps the backend of the rotations. Three weeks in the past, the Boston bench was out scored 38-12. Sixth Man of the 12 months candidate Immanuel Quickley had 24. Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in 7 a bit. Al Horford had 8, Pritchard solely 4. However over the homestand, the Celtics second unit has averaged 32.5 factors per recreation with Sam Hauser hitting 15 out of his final 30 three-point makes an attempt.
The Knicks are on the second evening of a back-to-back after beating the Hornets on Sunday afternoon to finish a sweep of their three-game set at MSG. Boston is trying to do the identical earlier than heading out on the highway for 5 of their subsequent six video games.
In case you’re trying to go to the sport tonight at TD Backyard, check out our friends at Events Ticket Center for all of your ticketing wants.
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