Memphis Grizzlies (15-8) at Boston Celtics (19-4) Recreation #24 12/7/24

The Celtics host the Memphis Grizzlies for the primary of two video games between them this season. They may play once more in Memphis on March 31. The Celtics have been 2-0 final season in opposition to the Grizzlies. They’re 37-19 general all time in opposition to the Grizzlies and they’re 19-9 all time in video games performed in Boston. That is the second of again to again video games for the Celtics. They’re 4-0 thus far on the second evening of again to again video games.

The Celtics are 2nd within the East, 1 sport behind the primary place Cavaliers. They’re 10-2 at residence and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 2-1 in opposition to Western Convention groups. They’ve received their final 3 video games. The Grizzlies are 4th within the West, 2.5 video games out of first place. They’re 4-5 on the street and 8-2 of their final 10 video games. They’re 8-3 in opposition to Jap Convention groups and are on the lookout for their 2nd straight win.

Marcus Good spent 9 years with the Celtics and have become the guts and soul of the workforce. He was included within the commerce that introduced Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, which broke my coronary heart and that of many different Celtics followers. It was thought that he was going to a contender within the West, however final season they’d accidents and setbacks the entire season. Good was out once they performed in Boston final season. Hopefully he’ll be capable to play on this one.

Key gamers have been out all season and so they not often had an damage listing under 7 gamers. Bane performed 42 video games, Clarke performed 6 video games, Good performed 20 video games and Morant performed 9 video games final season. This 12 months, they’ve been more healthy and their being 4th within the West displays that. They didn’t make many modifications within the off season, anticipating that getting gamers again from damage can be sufficient to place them in contender standing.

The Celtics are enjoying within the 4th sport of a 5 sport residence stand. The Celtics beat the Warmth, the Pistons and the Bucks within the first 3 video games and can host Detroit arising following this one. The Detroit sport was added, together with a sport at Washington on the fifteenth after the Celtics didn’t advance within the Emirates Cup match. After the Wizards, the Celtics will face the Bulls in a house and residential sequence earlier than enjoying at Orlando.

The Grizzlies are enjoying within the first of two consecutive street video games. The 2nd sport might be again to again at Washington on Sunday. They may then play at residence vs Brooklyn and on the street vs the Lakers. Then, it’s again residence in opposition to the Warriors and again on the street at Atlanta adopted by 2 video games at residence in opposition to the Lakers and Raptors earlier than a 5 sport street journey by way of New Orleans, OKC, Phoenix, Sacramento and Golden State.

Because the Celtics are enjoying again to again, Al Horford will possible sit this one out since he performed on Friday in opposition to the Bucks. Porzingis sat out Friday’s sport and off the damage listing for this sport. Derrick White is a late addition to the damage listing with a foot sprain. He’s listed as possible and can possible play.

The Grizzlies have 4 gamers out and a pair of extra gamers questionable. Zach Edey (ankle), GG Jackson (foot), Luke Kennard (sickness) and Vince Williams, Jr (ankle) are all out for this sport. Former Celtic Marcus Good (ankle) is questionable however was seen going by way of shoot round and it seems to be like he plans to play. Desmond Bane was a late addition to the damage report with a toe damage as questionable and might be a sport time resolution.

Possible Celtics Starters

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

2 Means Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson

Accidents/Out
Al Horford (toe) out
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) out there
Derrick White (foot) possible

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Possible Grizzlies Starters

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Grizzlies Reserves
Santi Aldama
Jay Huff
John Konchar
Jake LaRavia
Scotty Pippen, Jr

Two-Means Gamers
Colin Castleton
Yuki Kawamura
Cam Spencer

Accidents/Out
Zach Edey (ankle) out
GG Jackson II (foot) out
Luke Kennard (sickness) out
Vince Williams, Jr (ankle) out
Marcus Good (ankle) questionable
Desmond Bane (toe) questionable

Head Coach
Taylor Jenkins

Key Matchups

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  Jrue Vacation
  
  
  Picture by Jason Miller/Getty Photographs
  
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  Ja Morant
  
  
  Picture by Justin Ford/Getty Photographs
  

Jrue Vacation vs Ja Morant
Morant is averaging 20.9 factors, 4.1 rebounds, and eight.6 assists per sport. He’s capturing 44.8% from the sphere and 26.3% from past the arc. Morant could be very athletic and fast and so he may give the Celtics issues. They want to stick with him on protection to attempt to sluggish him down.

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  Jayson Tatum
  
  
  Picture by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Photographs
  
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  Jaren Jackson, Jr
  
  
  Picture by Meg Oliphant/Getty Photographs
  

Jayson Tatum vs Jaren Jackson, Jr.
Jackson is averaging 21.7 factors, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per sport. He’s capturing 51.3% from the sphere and 33.3% from past the arc. Jackson is enjoying very properly this season and is an actual risk to attain. He’s additionally an excellent defender and can make it troublesome for whoever he’s guarding to attain.

Honorable point out
Derrick White vs Desmond Bane Bane is averaging 14.3 factors, 6.1 rebounds, and three.9 assists per sport. He’s capturing 43.5% from the sphere and 31.9% from past the arc. Bane is an effective rebounder and so White must step up and problem him on the boards.

Keys to the Recreation
Protection – Protection is at all times a key to successful. The Celtics have slipped to tenth with a defensive ranking of 110.5. The Grizzlies are seventh with a defensive ranking of 108.6. The Grizzlies are 2nd in scoring with 121.1 factors per sport whereas the Celtics are third with 120.5 factors per sport. The Celtics are 1st in 3 level makes an attempt with 50.1 and eighth in 3 level proportion at 37.6%. The Grizzlies are 14th with 37.3 three level makes an attempt per sport and seventeenth in 3 level proportion at 34.8%. The Celtics must particularly do a greater job of guarding the paint for the reason that Grizzlies are fifth averaging 58.6 factors within the paint. The Celtics protection has been up and down this season. They have to play lock down protection for 48 minutes in opposition to the Grizzlies.

Rebound – The Celtics can’t rating in the event that they don’t have the ball and to get the ball, they must seize rebounds. The Celtics are 14th within the league, grabbing 43.9 rebounds per sport whereas the Grizzlies are third, with 47.5 rebounds per sport. A lot of rebounding is effort and hustle and the Celtics must put out extra effort than the Grizzlies in an effort to beat them to rebounds.

Play Laborious for 48 Minutes – The distinction within the Celtics wins and losses on this 12 months has been the quantity of effort they offer on each ends of the courtroom. The Celtics should be extra aggressive in going for free balls, rebounds, in going to the basket and on protection. They must decide to giving full effort from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer. Hopefully they’ve discovered from their losses and received’t slack off on effort for even a minute on this sport. They should take cost of the sport from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer. The Celtics should be the more durable workforce each bodily and mentally.

Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are powerful to beat once they maintain the ball transferring and discover the open man however when one participant over dribbles and lapses into hero ball, they falter. On the finish of the Cavs sport, in two consecutive essential possessions, Jayson Tatum dribbled your entire shot clock with out one go and missed contested layups on each possessions. He must proceed to do what makes the Celtics profitable and maintain the ball transferring. Everybody knew that he wasn’t going to go the ball and so as a substitute of an open shot, he dribbled right into a crowd of Cavaliers. Maintain the ball transferring and don’t lapse into hero ball, whether or not within the first quarter or the 4th quarter. Hero ball not often works

X-Components
House Recreation and Fatigue – The Celtics are residence for his or her 4th straight sport. They should get motivation from the gang and play their finest to guard residence courtroom. The Grizzlies have to beat the distractions of enjoying on the street together with journey fatigue, staying in motels, enjoying in entrance of hostile followers and in an unfamiliar area and the Celtics must benefit from that. The Celtics are enjoying on the second evening of again to again video games and fatigue might be an element down the stretch.

Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Some officers name the sport tight and name each little little bit of contact. Others allow them to play and permit each groups to be bodily. Some refs name it one sided for one workforce whereas others name it even. The Celtics have to focus on enjoying their sport and never permit unhealthy calls and no calls to remove from their concentrate on enjoying the appropriate method.

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