Atlanta Hawks (4-7) at Boston Celtics (9-2) Sport #12 11/12/24

After a come from behind win at Milwaukee on Sunday, the Celtics return residence for the 2nd of three video games towards the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics simply received their first assembly 123-93 in Atlanta on November 4. They may meet yet another time in Boston on January 18. The Celtics are 246-148 total all time towards the Hawks and 132-44 in video games performed in Boston.

The Hawks have been off since Saturday and after this recreation, received’t play once more till Friday when they’ll play the Wizards at residence. They need to be nicely rested, though they can even be quick handed. They may then head out on a 4 recreation highway journey by Portland, Sacramento, Golden State and Chicago. The desire then face the Mavericks at residence after which have a house and residential set towards the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Celtics are enjoying within the first half of again to again video games. They may play at Brooklyn on Wednesday. That is their second again to again set, having received each halves towards the Hornets within the first one. After Brooklyn on Wednesday, the Celtics will host Toronto after which Cleveland earlier than a recreation on the highway in Washington. They may return residence for video games towards the Timberwolves and the Clippers.

The Celtics could also be with out some key gamers on this recreation. Jayson Tatum rolled his ankle on what ought to have been a Flagrant 1 on Giannis Antetokounmpo however remained within the recreation. He’s questionable for this recreation. Al Horford is questionable for this recreation resulting from a left huge toe sprain. He’ll probably miss this recreation and play on Wednesday towards the Nets. Jaden Springer is questionable with a knee damage. Kristaps Porzingis stays out as he rehabs from ankle surgical procedure. I’m unsure who will begin if Tatum and Horford are each out. I’m considering that Tatum will play and that Queta will begin in Horford’s place.

The Hawks shall be very quick handed with 7 gamers on the damage listing. Vit Krejci is out with a proper adductor damage. Bogdan Bogdanovic is out after a medical process to repair his proper hamstring tendinopathy. Kobe Bufkin is recovering from a shoulder subluxation and can be out. Seth Lundy (ankle), De’Andre Hunter (knee), and Cody Zeller (private) are all out as nicely. Trae Younger can be out resulting from proper Achilles tendinitis. I’m simply taking a wild guess that Keaton Wallace will fill in for Younger within the beginning lineup.

Possible Celtics Starters

Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Baylor Scheierman
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet

2 Manner Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson

Accidents/Out
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) out
Jaden Springer (knee) questionable
Jayson Tatum (ankle) questionable
Al Horford (toe) questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Possible Hawks Starters

Hawks Reserves
Mouhamed Gueye
Garrison Mathews
Onyeka Okongwu
Larry Nance, Jr
David Roddy

2 Manner Gamers
Dominick Barlow
Seth Lundy
Keaton Wallace

Accidents/Out
Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) out
Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) out
Vit Kretjci (thigh) out
Seth Lundy (ankle) out
De’Andre Hunter (knee) out
Cody Zeller (private) out
Trae Younger (Achilles) out

Head Coach
Quin Snyder

Key Matchups

Jayson Tatum

Photograph by Stacy Revere/Getty Pictures
Jalen Johnson

Photograph by Paras Griffin/Getty Pictures

Jayson Tatum vs Jalen Johnson
Johnson is averaging 19 factors, 10.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals per recreation. He’s capturing 45.1% from the sphere and 30.2% from past the arc. Within the first recreation towards Boston, Johnson completed with 20 factors, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal whereas capturing 35% from the sphere and 28.6% on threes. Tatum could also be out for this one and in that case, whoever begins right here must defend Johnson very nicely as he’ll probably be their greatest participant.

Jaylen Brown

Photograph by Kent Smith/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Zaccharie Risacher

Photograph by Paras Griffin/Getty Pictures

Jaylen Brown vs Zaccharie Risacher
The primary decide within the draft has been beginning resulting from an damage to De’Andre Hunter and he has been up and down in his play up to now. He’s averaging 12 factors, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1 block per recreation. He’s capturing 37.9% from the sphere and 25.3% from past the arc. In opposition to the Celtics within the first recreation towards Boston, he completed with 15 factors, 3 rebounds and a pair of assists whereas capturing 40% from the sphere and 16.7% on threes.

Honorable Point out
Derrick White vs Dyson Daniels
Daniels is averaging 12.4 factors, 4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and three steals per recreation. He’s capturing 45% from the sphere and 27.8% from past the arc. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, he completed with 8 factors, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal whereas capturing 44.4% from the sphere and didn’t hit a 3 pointer. Jaylen Brown is on his second recreation again from a hip damage and hopefully shall be again to full energy on this one.

Keys to the Sport
Protection – Protection is at all times the important thing to profitable video games. The Celtics have a defensive ranking of 108.7 which is fifth whereas the Hawks have a defensive ranking of 117.6, which is twenty sixth. In opposition to the Bucks, the Celtics allowed 69 factors within the first half earlier than clamping on protection to gap them to 38 factors within the second half. The Celtics should make protection a precedence on this recreation they usually must play that robust protection for 48 minutes and never simply when they’re down and their backs are towards the wall. The Celtics have to particularly guard the paint because the Hawks are 4th within the league with 53.8 factors within the paint per recreation.

Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is a key to profitable. A lot of rebounding is effort and want. When the Celtics put out the additional effort on the boards, it often carries by to the remainder of their recreation. The Hawks are averaging 42.5 rebounds per recreation (twentieth) whereas the Celtics are averaging 45.3 rebounds per recreation (sixteenth). The Celtics haven’t been rebounding in addition to they did final season and they should aggressively go after each rebound. They will’t afford to offer the Hawks further possessions and 2nd probability factors by permitting them to beat them to rebounds.

Effort and Ball Motion – The Celtics have began the previous couple of video games very slowly and ended up in a gap. They then needed to flip up the trouble and double down on protection down the stretch with a purpose to squeak out a win. The Celtics have to maneuver the ball and never play hero ball. In addition they have to play with most effort for 48 minutes and never enable the Hawks to construct a lead or if the Celtics construct a lead, they should maintain it and never enable the Hawks to come back again. They must get again to enjoying onerous proper from the start and transfer the ball all through the sport and never simply when they’re behind and determined.

Depth – With each groups probably lacking key gamers for this recreation, crew depth will certainly are available to play. Payton Pritchard has introduced power and environment friendly scoring off the bench and the Celtics want him to proceed. Sam Hauser has struggled since lacking time with again soreness and hopefully he can get again on observe. The Celtics additionally want their again up bigs to choose up their video games to fill in for lacking gamers.

X-Components
Residence Courtroom– They name it residence court docket benefit for a motive and the Celtics have to reap the benefits of enjoying on their residence court docket. The Celtics have to get motivation from the house crowd, which needs to be loud and doing the whole lot of their energy to help the Celtics and rattle the Hawks. The Hawks have the distractions of journey and an unfamiliar enviornment and a hostile crowd and hopefully that may give the Celtics a bonus.

Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport a little bit in a different way with some calling it tight and others letting them play. Some refs simply make head scratching calls whereas others attempt very onerous to get them proper. Generally they’re tech loopy for each little factor. In some video games they name the two halves utterly in a different way. The Celtics have to regulate to how the sport is being known as and give attention to enjoying the sport and never on the officiating.

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