Minnesota Timberwolves (8-7) at Boston Celtics (13-3) Sport #17 11/24/24

The Celtics look to win their fifth straight recreation as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves. That is the primary of two video games this season with the second recreation on January 2 in Minnesota. These two groups break up the sequence 1-1 final season with every workforce profitable at dwelling. The Celtics are 45-24 total all time in opposition to the Wolves and 25-8 in video games performed in Boston. The Celtics have received 17 straight video games in opposition to the Timberwolves in Boston.

The Timberwolves made some huge strikes within the off season and it could be taking them awhile to construct chemistry with their new gamers. They misplaced Kyle Anderson to the Warriors and signed Joe Ingles, who they anticipate to fill Anderson’s spot. In addition they misplaced Monte Morris to Phoenix and so they signed former Celtic, PJ Dozier. However the largest transfer was buying and selling Karl-Anthony Cities for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. It’s that transfer that appears to be taking time to gel.

After internet hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves on this recreation, the Celtics will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday in again to again video games. They are going to then play at Chicago and at Cleveland earlier than returning dwelling for a 5 recreation dwelling stand in opposition to Miami, Detroit, Milwaukee, Memphis and Chicago. They then go to Chicago and Orlando earlier than one other 4 recreation dwelling stand the place they host Philadelphia, Indiana twice, and Toronto.

The Timberwolves simply completed a 3 recreation highway journey, enjoying at Portland twice and at Sacramento. They hosted Phoenix earlier than dropping to the Raptors at Toronto. After this recreation at Boston, they return dwelling for a 4 recreation dwelling stand together with Houston, Sacramento, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. They then head on the highway to tackle the Clippers and the Warriors.

The Timberwolves are tenth within the West, 4 video games out of first and simply half once more forward of eleventh place San Antonio. They’re 5-5 of their final 10 video games and 3-2 in opposition to Japanese Convention opponents. They’re 3-5 on the highway. The Celtics are second within the East, 2.5 video games behind first place Cleveland. They’re 8-2 of their final 10 video games and they’re 5-2 at dwelling. They’re 0-1 in opposition to Western Convention opponents.

Al Horford missed Friday’s recreation in opposition to the Wizards with a non-covid sickness. He’s listed as questionable for this recreation. If he’s unable to play, I anticipate Neemias Queta will as soon as once more begin in his place. Kristaps Porzingis is listed as out for this recreation however ought to return quickly. For the Timberwolves solely Mike Conley is listed as out on their harm report with a toe harm.

Possible Celtics Starters

PG: Jrue Vacation
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Al Horford

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

2 Means Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson

Accidents/OutOkay
ristaps Porzingis (ankle) out
Al Horford (sickness) questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Possible Timberwolves Starters

PG: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
SG: Anthony Edwards
SF: Jaden McDaniels
PF: Julius Randle
C: Rudy Gobert

Timberwolves Reserves
Rob Dillingham
Donte DiVincenzo
PJ Dozier
Luka Garza
Joe Ingles
Leonard Miller
Josh Minott
Naz Reid
Terrance Shannon, Jr

2 Means Gamers
Jaylen Clark
Jesse Edwards
Daishen Nix

Accidents/Out
Mike Conley (toe) out

Head Coach
Chris Finch

Key Matchups

Derrick White

Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs
Anthony Edwards

Picture by David Berding/Getty Photographs

Derrick White vs Anthony Edwards
Edwards is averaging 27.9 factors, 4.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 47.5% from the sector and 43.1% from past the arc. The Celtics want defend him each within the paint and on the perimeter as he can rating very properly in each.

Jayson Tatum

Picture by Adam Glanzman/Getty Photographs
Julius Randle

Picture by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

Jayson Tatum vs Julius Randle
Randle is averaging 21.7 factors, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per recreation. He’s taking pictures 50.2% from the sector and 36.5% from past the arc. As with Edwards, the Celtics have to protect Randle each within the paint and on the perimeter. Tatum struggled together with his shot on Friday and the Celtics will want him to shoot higher on this one.

Honorable Point out
Al Horford vs Rudy Gobert
Gobert is averaging 11.0 factors, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. He’s taking pictures 63.9% from the sector and 0% on 3 pointers. Hopefully the Celtics can pull Gobert away from the basket as he’s an excellent rebounder and rim protector. If Horford is out, both Luke Kornet or Neemias Queta or Xavier Tillman are more likely to begin right here

Keys to the Sport
Protection Protection Protection!! Protection is the important thing to profitable each recreation. The Timberwolves common 113.3 factors per recreation (fifteenth) whereas the Celtics common 120.7 factors per recreation (2nd). The Celtics are eighth with a defensive score of 110.7 whereas the Wolves have a defensive score of 111.7 (thirteenth). The Celtics haven’t been enjoying the identical powerful protection they performed final season. They particularly have been weak on protection within the paint. They’re twenty seventh, permitting 53.2 level within the paint this season. The Celtics have gotten to play powerful workforce protection for all 4 quarters in the event that they hope to get a win on this recreation.

Rebound – The Celtics are averaging 42.8 rebounds per recreation (twentieth) to 40.6 rebounds per recreation for the Timberwolves (twenty sixth). The Celtics might want to crash the boards to maintain the Wolves from getting further possessions and second probability factors. A lot of rebounding is effort and the Celtics have set to work more durable on the boards than the Wolves. As soon as once more, the Celtics have been a significantly better rebounding workforce final season with the identical roster. They should enhance their effort on the boards.

Play Laborious 48 Minutes – The Celtics have gotten to come back out sturdy and never enable the Wolves to construct an early lead. They need to play onerous by means of the 2nd and third quarters and never let as much as enable the Timberwolves to drag forward as a result of the Celtics aren’t enjoying their hardest. The Celtics additionally should end sturdy and never enable the Wolves to surge forward to shut the sport. The Celtics have began slowly in a number of video games just lately and in video games the place they began off sturdy and constructed an excellent lead, they’ve slacked off and allowed their opponent to come back again and make it a detailed recreation. They need to play onerous for all 48 minutes.

Effort and Power – Towards a number of groups this season, the Celtics have lacked vitality. They’ve allowed groups they need to have blown out to both beat them or make it a detailed recreation. The Celtics lack of effort and vitality can even assist to clarify their lack of rebounds. Together with placing out extra effort and vitality, the Celtics should put that effort into enjoying workforce ball. They should hold the ball shifting and never lapse into hero ball.

X-Components
It’s House Court docket Benefit for a Motive – There’s a purpose why they name it dwelling court docket benefit. The Celtics have the group behind them and if they provide an excellent effort, the followers will cheer them on and assist to encourage them. It’s when the workforce lacks effort that the group will activate their very own workforce. The Wolves needed to journey, keep in a lodge, play in entrance of a hostile crowd and on an unfamiliar court docket. The Celtics want to come back out with effort and defend their dwelling court docket.

Officiating – Officiating all the time has the potential to be an x-factor. Every officiating crew calls the sport otherwise. Some refs name it tight and continuously name fouls whereas others allow them to play with few fouls known as. The Celtics want to regulate to how the refs are calling the sport and never enable unhealthy calls or no calls to remove their give attention to enjoying the sport. The Celtics can’t let the officiating get into their heads.

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