![]() ![]() ![]() Home Game and Rest - The Celtics played in 3 straight home games before going to Indiana for the knock out round of the In Season Tournament. They have to stay focused and take better care of the ball. The Celtics were 4th in turnover percentage over the first 12 games but are 26th since. However, they need to make careful passes because the Knicks are 6th in the league with 18.7 points off turnovers per game and if the Celtics get sloppy, they will make them pay. They struggle when the ball sticks and players try to do too much and play iso ball. They play their best when the ball is moving and they are finding the open man. ![]() Move the Ball Carefully - The Celtics need to move the ball and find teammates for the best shots available. The Celtics have got to come out in the 3rd quarter with the same energy that they start the game. They allowed the Pacers to go on a 17-3 run to begin the 3rd quarter and they never recovered. That is 22nd in the league They have the best net rating in the first quarter (+25) but they go down from there with the 3rd quarter being their worst. No 3rd Quarter Let Down -The Celtics have a -2.4 net rating in 3rd quarters. The Knicks are 4th in the league with 16.5 second chance points per game and so the Celtics need to crash the boards to prevent giving the Knicks extra points in this game. The Celtics are 2nd with 47.5 rebounds per game but tend to get lazy against physical teams that fight for rebounds. It will take a team effort to beat the Knicks, who are 5th in the league in rebounding with 46.1 per game. The Celtics need to rebound as a team with every Celtic battling on the boards. Rebound - The Celtics can’t score if they don’t have the ball, and the best way to get the ball is the grab rebounds. They have got to play tougher team defense if they hope to get a win in this game. The Celtics gave up 74 points in the second half against the Pacers. Both teams want to be defensive minded but both teams forget their defensive identity from time to time. The Celtics have a defensive rating of 108.2 (2nd) while the Knicks have a defensive rating of 110.8 (7th). The Knicks average 111.5 points per game (21st) while the Celtics average 116.5 points per game (10th). He shot 40% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.ĭefense - Defense is the key to winning every game. Against the Celtics this season, he averaged 24 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. He is shooting 41.8% from the field and 38.2% from beyond the arc. Randle has struggled with his shot at times this season but he is very capable of having a big game at any time.īarrett is averaging 18.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He shot 29.3% from the field and 31.3% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics, he averaged 19.5 points, 10 rebounds 6 assists, and 1 steals. He is shooting 43% from the field and just 29.2% from beyond the arc. He is averaging 21.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. Randle is the reigning Eastern Conference player of the week. The Knicks have no one listed on the injury list at this time. He is listed as a game time decision but is expected to return to the starting lineup for the Celtics in this game. He was a full participant during Wednesday’s practice and participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage with coaches following practice. Kristaps Porzingis missed the last 4 games for the Celtics with a calf injury. They are 6-5 on the road.īoth teams are expected to come into this game healthy. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and 1-2 against Atlantic Division teams. The Knicks are 5th in the East, 3 games behind Boston, 1 game behind Philadelphia and tied with Indiana. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and they are 8-1 against Atlantic Division teams. The Celtics remain first in the East, 1 game ahead of Milwaukee, 1.5 games ahead of Orlando and 2 games ahead of Philadelphia. The Celtics don’t play again until December 12 when they will resume their home stand with 2 games against the Cavaliers and then 2 games against the Magic before they begin a 4 game Western road trip. The Knicks next game will be on December 11 at home against the Raptors and then they will head out on a 5 game Western road trip. This game was added to the schedule after both teams lost in the knock out round of the In Season Tournament. They are on the schedule for 2 more games this season: February 24 in New York and April 11 in Boston. They also played twice in the preseason with the Celtics winning in Boston and the Knicks winning in New York. The Celtics won 108-104 in New York on opening night and they won a second time 114-98 in Boston on November 13. This is the 3rd game between these two teams this season. The Celtics look to stay unbeaten at home as they host the New York Knicks. Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub, 98.7 ESPN NY, Sirius XM New York Knicks (12-8) at Boston Celtics (15-5)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |