Author: flceltsfan

The Celtics visit the Milwaukee Bucks as they look to win their second straight game.

The Celtics visit the Milwaukee Bucks for the second of 4 games between these two teams this season. The Celtics won the first meeting 119-116 in Boston. They will meet a second time in Boston on March 20. They will meet once more in Milwaukee on April 9. The Celtics won the series 2-1 last season. They won on Christmas Day in Boston and 1 game in Milwaukee. They lost one game in Milwaukee.

The Celtics remain first in the East. They are 4 games ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee, 5.5 games ahead of 3rd place Philadelphia, 7 games ahead of 4th place Indiana and 5th place New York, and they are 7.5 games ahead of 6th place Cleveland. The Celtics are 11-8 on the road and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are 22-5 against Eastern Conference teams and are coming off a win in their last game.

The Bucks remain in 2nd place in the East. They are 4 games behind first place Boston. They are 1.5 games ahead of 3rd place Philadelphia, 3 games ahead of 4th place Indiana and 5th place New York, and 3.5 games ahead of 6th place Cleveland. The Bucks are 16-4 at home and 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are 20-10 against Eastern Conference teams and they have lost their last 2 games.

The Celtics are playing in the 2nd of back to back games and had to travel after Wednesday’s game. They are 5-1 so far on the second night of back to back games. They are 1-0 when the games are Home/Road. They are also playing in their 5th game in 7 nights. The Celtics are 117-110 all time overall against the Bucks. They are 43-70 in games played in Milwaukee.

The Celtics won at home on Wednesday night and take on the Bucks on the road in this game. They will return home to host the Rockets before heading out on the road again to play in Toronto. They will then have home games against San Antonio and Denver. They will then take on Houston and Dallas on the road in back to back games and the Heat in Miami before settling in for a 7 game home stand.

The Bucks are playing in the 2nd of a 4 game home stand. They will play Golden State and Sacramento back to back to finish the home stand. After that, their schedule gets easier as they play Cleveland, and Detroit twice on the road before returning home to face Cleveland twice and New Orleans before heading out on a 5 game Western road trip.

The Celics should be almost at full strength for this game. I expect that Al Horford will sit out for rest on the second night of back to back games. I also expect Kristaps Porzingis to return for this game after sitting out Wednesday’s game. For the Bucks, Jae Crowder is out with a groin injury. Cameron Payne is questionable due to being in concussion protocol.

Probable Celtics Starters

Celtics Reserves
Delano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh

2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta

Injuries/Out
Al Horford (rest) questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Probable Bucks Starters

Bucks Reserves
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
MarJon Beauchamp
Pat Connaughton
AJ Green
Andre Jackson, Jr
Chris Livingston
Robin Lopez
Bobby Portis, Jr

Two Way Players
TyTy Washington, Jr

Injuries/Out
Jae Crowder (groin) out
Cameron Payne (concussion) questionable

Head Coach
Adrian Griffin

Key Matchups

Jayson Tatum vs Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Bucks’ best player and possibly the league’s best player. He is averaging 31.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.3 assists per game. He is shooting 60.7% from the field but just 23.8% from beyond the arc. In the previous game against the Celtics, he finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. The Celtics held him to 35% from the field and no 3 pointers. You can’t stop Giannis, but you can try to slow him down.

Jrue Holiday vs Damian Lillard
Lillard is averaging 25.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.2% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, Lillard finished with 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. He shot 46% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to play Lillard tightly on defense to limit his production since he is the biggest threat other than Antetokounmpo. Hopefully playing his former team will give Holiday added incentive to play well to beat them.

Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs Khris Middleton
Middleton is averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. He is shooting 49% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. Middleton always seems to get up for Celtics games and is a verified Celtics killer. In the first game against the Celtics, Middleton finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. He shot 29% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. Jaylen Brown has been playing very well in recent games and the Celtics will need him to continue that in this game.

Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense is always the biggest key to winning. Defense really does win championships. The Celtics are 2nd with a defensive rating of 110.4. The Bucks are 22nd with a defensive rating of 116.3. The Celtics must work harder than the Bucks on defense and keep their focus on the defensive end so as not to allow any easy baskets for the Bucks.

Rebound - Next to defense, rebounding is always a big key to winning. The key to rebounding is effort and focus. When the Celtics increase their rebounding effort, it usually improves their play in other areas as well. The Bucks are 12th with 44.1 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 1st with 47.6 rebounds per game. The Celtics have to fight hard to beat the Bucks to rebounds.

Stay Focused - A lack of focus can explain a lot of the Celtics problems when they struggle. At times, the Celtics lose focus and struggle to hit shots that they would usually make. They sometimes take questionable shots, miss some layups and stopped moving the ball, which can also be attributed to a lack of focus. They also miss free throws in games where they lack focus. When they lose focus on offense, they also lose focus on defense and miss assignments and allow their opponent open shots on the perimeter and easy shots inside. They must stay focused on playing the right way.

Be Aggressive - The Celtics have to be the more aggressive team in order to have a chance to beat the Bucks. They have to be more aggressive in going for loose balls and in crashing the boards. They have to be more aggressive on defense and they have to be aggressive in going to the basket and not settling for 3’s if they aren’t falling. Often the more aggressive team will get more calls. They can’t allow the Bucks to play harder than them.

X-Factors
Home Court and Fatigue - The Bucks are a very good home team, going 16-4 at home so far this season. The Celtics can’t allow the distractions of playing on the road to take away their focus on playing the game. The Celtics are playing in the second of back to back games after a tough overtime game against the Timberwolves on Wednesday. Travel and back to back games could affect the play of the Celtics.

Officiating - The officiating can always be an x-factor. Some referees call the game tight and others let them play. Some favor the home team and others call it evenly. Some refs just seem to have an agenda that doesn’t fit the play on the court. And sometimes the refs are simply atrocious (see Pacers game). Giannis seems to always get more than his share of calls as he plows through players on his way to the hoop, leaving bodies in his wake. The Celtics have to play through however the refs call the game, whether it is tight or they let them play or they make terrible calls. The Celtics can’t allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus on the game.

And make sure to check out CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a live conversation about the game. To participate, just create a free account, connect your LP sub if you have it, and join our community!

We’ll be giving out a free month of NBA League Pass at the beginning of each stream between now and the big showdown against the Bucks on January 11. You’ll need to be a member of the CelticsBlog’s Playback Room. First to answer the trivia question in the chat wins the code. Good luck!

The Celtics host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a battle of the best of the East vs the best of the West.

The Celtics host the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 2nd and final game between them this season. This is a match up of the best in the East against the best in the West. The Timberwolves won the first meeting 114-109 in OT in Minnesota on November 7. The Celtics won the series against the Timberwolves 2-0 last season. The Celtics are 44-22 overall all time against the Timberwolves and 24-8 all time in games played in Boston.

The Celtics remain first in the East. They are 3.5 games ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee, 4.5 games ahead of 3rd place Philadelphia, and 7 games ahead of Miami (4), Indiana (5), Cleveland (6) and New York (7). They are 17-0 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are 6-3 against Western Conference opponents. They are coming off a loss in their last game.

The Timberwolves are 1st in the Western Conference. They are 1.5 games ahead of 2nd place Oklahoma City, 1 game ahead of 3rd place Denver, 3 games ahead of the 4th place Los Angeles Clippers, and 4 games ahead of 5th place Sacramento and 4.5 games ahead of Dallas (6) and New Orleans (7). They are 12-8 on the road and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 8-4 against Eastern Conference opponents and are coming off a win over Orlando in their last game.

The Celtics are playing in the first of back to back games. They will play on the road in Milwaukee on Thursday. They then have one game at home against Houston, followed by a game on the road in Toronto. They will then return home for a 2 game home stand against San Antonio and Denver before heading out on the road to Houston, Dallas and Miami. They then return home for a 7 game home stand.

The Timberwolves are playing in the second of back to back games. They played on the road in Orlando on Wednesday. They are 1-1 so far on the second night of back to back games. This is the 4th and final game of a 4 game road trip for the Wolves that took them through Houston, Dallas and Orlando before finishing at Boston. They will return home next to host Portland and the Clippers.

Al Horford (illness) and Jrue Holiday (elbow) are both available after being originally listed as questionable. I imagine that Horford will sit out Thursday’s game against Milwaukee. Kristaps Porzingis has been downgraded to out due to a knee contusion. Sam Hauser and Jayson Tatum, who missed Monday’s game are not on the injury report at this time. I’m going to guess that Al Horford will start in place of Porzingis.

For the Timberwolves, Jaylen Clark is out with an Achilles injury. Mike Conley is listed as out for rest with the team playing on the second night of back to back games. I’m guessing that Jordan McLaughlin will get the start in his place. Rudy Gobert is questionable with hip soreness. They may rest him due to playing back to back and the fact that Porzingis is also out. If he is out, I would guess that Naz Reid would get the start in his place.

Probable Celtics Starters

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

Celtics Reserves
Delano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh

2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta

Injuries/Out
Al Horford (illness) available
Jrue Holiday (elbow) available
Kristaps Porzingis (knee) out

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Probable Timberwolves Starters

PG: Jordan McLaughlin
SG: Anthony Edwards
SF: Jaden McDaniels
PF: Karl Anthony-Towns
C: Rudy Gobert

Timberwolves Reserves
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Kyle Anderson
Troy Brown, Jr
Leonard Miller
Shake Milton
Josh Minott
Wendall Moore, Jr
Naz Reid

2 Way Players
Jaylen Clark
Luka Garza
Daishen Nix

Injuries/Out
Jaylen Clark (Achilles) out
Mike Conley (rest) out
Rudy Gobert (hip) questionable

Head Coach
Chris Finch

Key Matchups

Derrick White vs Anthony Edwards
Edwards is averaging 26.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 46.2% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc. He led the Timberwolves with 38 points in their meeting in November. The Celtics need to pay attention to him, both in the paint and on the perimeter, where he has been shooting very well. If Holiday is out, White will likely start at the point with Jaylen Brown sliding over to start at the two.

Jayson Tatum vs Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns is averaging 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He is shooting 50.4% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. The Celtics must guard him beyond the arc because he has won a 3 point contest in 2022. Jayson Tatum has been playing very well, but Towns will have a size advantage in this game.

Honorable Mention
Kristaps Porzingis vs Rudy Gobert
This will be a matchup of 2 very tall centers if Porzingis is able to play in this game. Gobert is averaging 12.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.1 blocks. He is shooting 62% from the field and 0% on 3 pointers. Hopefully the Celtics can pull Gobert away from the basket as he is a very good rebounder and rim protector. If Porzingis and Horford are out, Either Luke Kornet or Neemias Queta are likely to start here and the Celtics will be very short handed up front.

Keys to the Game
Defense Defense Defense!! Defense is the key to winning every game. The Timberwolves average 112.9 points per game (22nd) while the Celtics average 121.2 points per game (5th). The Celtics are 2nd with a defensive rating of 110.4 while the Wolves have a defensive rating of 108.7 (1st). This is a matchup of the top 2 defenses in the league. Against the Pacers, the Celtics lost the game when they let up on defense in the third quarter and allowed the Pacers to shoot 68% from the field and 57% from beyond the arc in the quarter. The Celtics have got to play tough team defense for all 4 quarters if they hope to get a win in this game.

Rebound - The Celtics are averaging 47.6 rebounds per game (1st) to 44.0 rebounds per game for the Timberwolves (12th). The Celtics will need to crash the boards to keep the Wolves from getting extra possessions and second chance points. Much of rebounding is effort and the Celtics have got to work harder on the boards than the Wolves, given the Wolves’ big front line.

Focus - The Celtics must come into the game focused on playing the right way as a team. They need to focus on moving the ball and moving without the ball as they rank 16th in assists per game. They have to focus on taking good shots and making them. They have to focus on making good passes and not get sloppy handling the ball because the Timberwolves average 16.3 points off turnovers per game. They have to stay focused on playing tough team defense as the Wolves will definitely be playing tough defense on the Celtics.

Play Hard 48 Minutes - The Celtics have got to come out strong and not allow the Wolves to build an early lead. They have to play hard through the 2nd and 3rd quarters and not let up to allow the Timberwolves to pull ahead because the Celtics aren’t playing their hardest. The Celtics also must finish strong and not allow the Wolves to surge ahead to close the game. They have struggled in 3rd quarters in some games so they need to especially come out from the half ready to dominate the quarter.

X-Factors
It’s Home Court Advantage for a Reason - There is a reason why they call it home court advantage. The Celtics have the crowd behind them and if they give a good effort, win or lose, the fans will cheer them on and help to motivate them. It is when the team lacks effort that the crowd will turn on their own team. The Wolves had to travel after playing the night before, stay in a hotel, play in front of a hostile crowd and on an unfamiliar court. The Celtics need to come out with effort and protect their home court.

Fatigue - Fatigue could come into play for both teams. The Celtics are playing in the 4th game in 6 nights. They are playing on the first night of back to back games and may be playing short handed. The Timberwolves are playing on the second night of back to back games and had to travel overnight. The depth for both teams will be tested in this one.

Officiating - Officiating always has the potential to be an x-factor. Each officiating crew calls the game differently. Some refs call it tight and constantly call fouls while others let them play with few fouls called. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus on playing the game. The officials definitely were an x-factor at the end of their last game against the Pacers. The Celtics can’t let the officiating get into their heads.

And make sure to check out CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a live conversation about the game. To participate, just create a free account, connect your LP sub if you have it, and join our community!

We’ll be giving out a free month of NBA League Pass at the beginning of each stream between now and the big showdown against the Bucks on January 11. You’ll need to be a member of the CelticsBlog’s Playback Room. First to answer the trivia question in the chat wins the code. Good luck!

The Celtics take on the Pacers in Indiana for the second time in three nights.

For the second straight game and the second time in 3 days, the Celtics face the Pacers in Indiana. This is the 4th of 5 games between these two teams this season. They will play for the 5th and final time in Boston on January 30. The Celtics lead the series 2-1 with a win in Boston and one in Indiana and the loss coming in Indiana in the knock out round of the In Season Tournament.

The Celtics remain first in the East. With a win on Saturday and a loss by both Milwaukee and Philadelphia, the Celtics are 3.5 games ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee, 5 games ahead of 3rd place Philadelphia, 7.5 ahead of 4th place New York and 8 ahead of 5th place Miami. They are 11-7 on the road and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are 22-4 against other Eastern Conference teams and they have won their last 2 games.

The Pacers are 7th in the East after their loss to the Celtics on Saturday. They are tied with 5th place Miami, 6th place Orlando, and 8th place Cleveland. They are half a game behind 4th place New York and 8 behind first place Boston. They are 5.5 games ahead of 11th place Atlanta. They are 10-8 at home and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They are 17-11 against Eastern Conference opponents and they lost their last game after winning their previous 6 games. .

The Celtics came home from a 2 game road trip to play one game at home against the Jazz and are now on the road for their second straight game against the Pacers in Indiana. They have Minnesota at home next and then Milwaukee on the road then Houston at home and Toronto on the road. They are playing in their 3rd game in 4 days and also in the midst of a 5 games in 7 days stretch. The Pacers are also playing in their 3rd game in 4 nights.

Both teams have a trio of players who are questionable or out for this game. Kristaps Porzingis was upgraded from questionable to available after getting poked in the eye in Saturday’s game. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Jayson Tatum has been downgraded to out for ankle injury management. Sam Hauser is also out due to a shoulder impingement. I’m going to guess that Al Horford starts in place of Tatum but I could be wrong.

For the Pacers, Bruce Brown is questionable with a bone bruise on his knee. He has missed the past 5 games but is on track to possibly return for this game. Andrew Nembhard has missed the last 3 games due to back tightness. He is also listed as questionable for this game. Isaiah Jackson missed Saturday’s game with a finger laceration. He is questionable for this game. All 3 are considered a game time decision.

Probable Celtics Starters

Celtics Reserves
Delano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh

2 Way Players
JD Davison
Nathan Knight
Neemias Queta

Injuries/Out
Jayson Tatum (ankle) out
Sam Hauser (shoulder) out
Kristaps Porzingis (eye) available

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Probable Pacers Starters

Pacers Reserves
Benedict Matherin
Isaiah Jackson
James Johnson
TJ McConnell
Buddy Hield
Jordan Nwora
Ben Sheppard
Obi Toppin
Jarace Walker

Two Way Players
Kendall Brown
Oscar Tshiebwe
Isaiah Wong

Injuries/Out
Bruce Brown (knee) questionable
Andrew Nembhard (back) questionable
Isaiah Jackson (finger) questionable

Head Coach
Rick Carlisle

Key Matchups

Jrue Holiday vs Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton is averaging 24.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 10.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He is shooting 49.6% from the field and 40.4% from beyond the arc. In 2 games against Boston this season, he averaged 21.5 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists and 1.5 steals per game. On Saturday, he was held to 17 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 1.2 steals. He shot 29.4% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to play tough defense on him in this game to limit him once again.

Kristaps Porzingis vs Myles Turner
Turner is averaging 17.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game. He is shooting 53.3% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc. Against Boston this season, Turner is averaging 12.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2 assists. On Saturday, he finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 41% from the field and 14.3% from three. Turner is a good rim protector and so the Celtics have to be aware of his presence in the paint. If Porzingis is out for this game, then Al Horford may get the start here.

Honorable Mention
Oshae Brissett vs Bennedict Mathurin
Mathurin is averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2 assists per game. He shoots 46.8% from the field and 37.4% from beyond the arc. Against Boston this season, he averaged 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. On Saturday, he finished with a team high 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 50% from the field but didn’t make a 3 pointer.

Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense is the key to winning every single game and especially against the Pacers as they lead the league with 126.8 points per game. The Celtics are 2nd in the league with a defensive rating of 109.9. The Pacers are 26th with a defensive rating of 119.8. The Celtics need to continue to make defense their identity and their priority. The Celtics have to play tough defense to prevent the Pacers from getting out on the break as they are 1st in fast break points (17.9). The Celtics must defend them well to prevent a scoring explosion from the Pacers.

Rebound - The Celtics are 1st in the league, pulling down 47.8 rebounds per game. The Pacers are 29th with 40.4 rebounds per game. It is important for the Celtics to rebound the ball to give themselves extra possessions and to prevent the Pacers from getting the same along with 2nd chance points. Much of rebounding is desire and effort and the Celtics have got to put out more effort on the boards than the Pacers if they want to get a win in this game. They out rebounded the Pacers 56-38 on Saturday and they have to dominate the boards once again to win this game.

Take Care of the Ball - The Celtics turned the ball over 18 times on Saturday, which led to 24 points for the Pacers. The Celtics have to take better care of the ball in this game. They have to move the ball and avoid too much iso ball but they have to make careful passes to avoid turnovers. They also need to take more care when they dribble and move with the ball.

Play Hard 48 Minutes - The Celtics have to start out strong and keep playing hard through the second and third quarters and then finish strong. They can’t afford a slow start and they also can’t let up as they go through the second and third quarters. They also can’t let the Pacers out-play them at the end of the game. They have to commit to being aggressive and playing hard and playing team ball for all 4 quarters.

X-Factors
On The Road - The Celtics are playing in their 3rd game on the road against the Pacers this season. They lost the In Season Tournament knock out round game in Indiana and they won the game on Saturday. The Pacers have a 10-8 record at home while the Celtics are 11-7 on the road. The Celtics can’t allow the distractions of travel and a hostile crowd to take away from their focus on the game.

3 Games in 4 Nights - After both teams playing in back to back games on Friday and Saturday, both teams are now playing in their 3rd game in 4 nights. Fatigue could come in to play down the stretch for both teams. With Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser both out, it may add to the fatigue of having just one day off in 4 nights. Hopefully the Celtics depth can come through for them.

Officiating - Officiating can always be an x-factor. Every officiating crew calls the game differently. Will the refs call it tight? Will they let them play? On Saturday, the Celtics didn’t take a single free throw in the first half while the Pacers took 13. The free throws evened out in the second half, but the officiating definitely favored the home team in that game. Once again, the Celtics must adjust to the way the crew is calling the game and not allow it to become a distraction for them.

And make sure to check out CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a live conversation about the game. To participate, just create a free account, connect your LP sub if you have it, and join our community!

We’ll be giving out a free month of NBA League Pass at the beginning of each stream between now and the big showdown against the Bucks on January 11. You’ll need to be a member of the CelticsBlog’s Playback Room. First to answer the trivia question in the chat wins the code. Good luck!

The Celtics look to push their home winning streak to 16 as they host the Toronto Raptors.

The Celtics host the division rival Toronto Raptors for the 3rd of 4 games this season. The Celtics beat them 117-94 at Boston on 11/11 and They also beat them 108-105 at Toronto on 11/17. They will play will meet one more time in Toronto on January 15. The Celtics won the series 4-0 last season. They are 68-41 overall all time and 40-14 in games played in Boston.

This is the first of back to back games for Toronto and is the second of a 3 game road trip. They will play in Detroit next and then Cleveland at home before heading out on a 6 game Western road trip. This this the second of back to back games for the Celtics after an overtime win over the Pistons on Thursday. They will play at San Antonio on New Years Even and then at OKC on January 2.

The Celtics remain first in the East, 1.5 games ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee, 3 games ahead of 3rd place Philadelphia and 6 games ahead of both 4th place Miami and 5th place Orlando. They are 15-0 at home and 9-1 in their last 10 games. They are 20-4 against Eastern Conference opponents and 9-1 against Atlantic Division teams. They have won their last 4 games.

The Raptors are 11th in the East They are 1 game behind 10 place Chicago and the final play-in spot. They are 5.5 games behind 6th place Cleveland and the final guaranteed playoff spot. They are tied with 12th place Atlanta but own the tie breaker over them. They are 4-9 on the road and 3-7 in their last 10 games. They are 8-15 against other Eastern Conference teams and 0-8 against Atlantic Division teams. They are coming off a win in their last game.

Al Horford is out as it is the second of back to back games and he played on Thursday against the Pistons. Jaylen Brown is questionable with a back contusion. Jayson Tatum is questionable for ankle sprain management. Kristaps Porzingis is doubtful for calf injury management. Jrue Holiday is questionable with an elbow injury.

For the Raptors, Christian Koloko is out with a respiratory illness. Garrett Temple is questionable with an ankle injury. With all the questionable players, I’m not sure who will play and who will be out. I’m just listing the normal starters because if they are all out I have no idea who will start.

Probable Celtics Starters

Celtics Reserves
Delano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh

2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta

Injuries/Out
Al Horford (rest) out
Jaylen Brown (back) questionable
Jrue Holiday (elbow) questionable
Kristaps Porzingis (calf injury management) doubtful
Jayson Tatum (ankle injury management) questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Probable Raptors Starters

Raptors Reserves
Precious Achiuwa
Chris Boucher
Gradey Dick
Malachi Flynn
Jalen McDaniels
Otto Porter, Jr
Gary Trent, Jr
Thaddeus Young

2 Way Players
Javon Freeman-Liberty
Jontay Porter
Marquis Nowell

Injuries/Out
Christian Koloko (illness) out
Garrett Temple (ankle) questionable

Head Coach
Darko Rajakovic

Key Matchups

Jayson Tatum vs Pascal Siakam
Siakam is averaging 21.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5 assists. He is shooting 50.7% from the field and 24.1% from beyond the arc. Against Boston this season, he is averaging 20 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 51.5% from the field and 0% on threes. He is struggling somewhat on 3s but if left alone, he is very capable of hitting them.

Derrick White vs Scottie Barnes
Barnes is averaging 20.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. He is shooting 49% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc. Against the Celtics this season he averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block. He shot 32.1% from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc. Even though he struggled against the Celtics so far this season, he has been Toronto’s best and most consistent player and it will be important for the Celtics to defend him well.

Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs OG Anunoby
Anunoby is averaging 15.2 points, 3,9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He is shooting 48.6% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc. Against the Celtics, he averaged 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. He shot 23.1% from the field and 25.3% from beyond the arc. Jaylen Brown may or may not play but whoever plays here needs to continue to limit Anunoby’s impact on the game.

Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense will always be the key to winning. The Celtics are 5th with a defensive rating of 110.5 while the Raptors are 17th with a defensive rating of 115.2. If the Celtics hope to win this game it will have to be with defense first. The Raptors are 6th with 53.7 points in the paint per game. The Celtics must try to keep them out of the paint and force them to play out of their comfort zone.

Rebound - The Raptors average 44.9 rebounds per game (7th) while the Celtics average 47.0 rebounds per game (2nd) Rebounding is very important to limit second chance baskets and fast breaks. The Raptors are 11th with 15.7 2nd chance points per game and 2nd with 17.3 fast break points per game. The Celtics were out rebounded 68-47 by the Pistons and it almost cost them the game. Much of rebounding is effort and hustle. The Celtics must put out more effort to beat the Raptors to rebounds.

Move the Ball - The Celtics play best when the ball is moving and players move to find the best shots. When the ball sticks, the offense is stagnant and the Celtics struggle to score. They need to make good passes and keep the ball moving rather than lapsing into hero ball.

Bench Play - The Celtics are playing on the second night of back to back games and played a very tough overtime game on Thursday and so fatigue could set in, especially for the starters. They need the reserves to come in and contribute to give the starters a rest without giving up production on the court.

X-Factors
Back to Back - The Celtics are playing in their fifth back to back set this season. Meanwhile, the Raptors haven’t played since Tuesday. The Celtics are 3-1 on the second night of back to back games, including a win over the Raptors so hopefully they will play well in this one. Hopefully the reserves will play well enough to give the starters enough rest to be able to finish the game strong.

Officiating - While rarely is officiating a reason for a win or a loss, it can always be an x-factor. Every game is called differently. Some games are called tightly and some games are allowed to be more physical. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the game is being called and focus on playing and not on the calls that are being made or not being made.

The Celtics continue their road trip with a stop in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers.

The Celtics look to win two in a row on the four-game road trip as they take on the Clippers in Los Angeles. This is the first of two meetings between these two teams. They will meet again in Boston on Jan. 27. They tied the series last season 1-1, with each team winning on their home court. The Celtics are 92-46 overall all time against the Clippers and they are 44-29 in games played in Los Angeles.

The Celtics remain first in the Eastern Conference but their margin over the other teams is shrinking. The Bucks are just half a game behind the Celtics, while the 76ers are 1.5 games back. They are five games ahead of the Magic. The Celtics are 7-6 on the road and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are 2-2 against Western Conference teams. The Celtics had won five straight before losing the first game on their trip. They are coming off a win over the Kings.

The Clippers are fifth in the West, four and a half games out of first and one and a half games behind the third place Nuggets. They are half a game ahead of seventh place New Orleans and just three games ahead of the 11th place Warriors. They are 11-3 at home and 9-1 in their last 10 games They are 3-2 against Eastern Conference teams. They had won nine straight games before a loss to the Oklahoma Thunder in their last game.

This is the third game of a 4 game road trip for the Celtics. They lost the first game in overtime against the Warriors and then came back the next night and blew out the Kings. They will finish up their trip on Christmas Day against the Lakers. The Clippers are playing at home after returning from a 3 game road trip where they went 2-1. This is the first game of a four-game home stand for them.

The Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis for this game. He missed the game against the Warriors for a calf injury management, but played against the Kings. He rolled his ankle in that game and will miss this game. Jayson Tatum missed the game against the Kings with an ankle injury. He went through a light practice on Friday and will be a game time decision for this game. Luke Kornet remains out with a thigh injury and Svi Mykhailiuk is questionable with a heel injury. I’m guessing that Al Horford will start in place of Porzingis, and if Tatum can’t play, then Sam Hauser may once again start.

For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard missed their last game with a hip injury. He is questionable for this game and his status is a game time decision. If he can’t go, Amir Coffey will likely get the start once again. Joshua Primo was recently converted from a 2 Way player to a regular contract but is expected to miss this game. Mason Plumlee has been out with a knee injury since November 6. He is expected to miss this game.

Probable Celtics Starters

Celtics Reserves
Delano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh

2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta

Injuries/Out
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) out
Luke Kornet (thigh) out
Jayson Tatum (ankle) questionable
Svi Mykhailiuk (heel) questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Probable Clippers Starters

Clippers Reserves
Brandon Boston, Jr
Kobe Brown
Amir Coffey
Bones Hyland
Norman Powell
Daniel Theis
PJ Tucker
Russell Westbrook

Two Way Players
Moussa Diabate
Jordan Miller
Xavier Moon

Injuries/Out
Kawhi Leonard (hip) questionable
Mason Plumlee (knee) out
Joshua Primo (undisclosed) questionable

Head Coach
Tyronn Lue

Key Matchups

Jaylen Brown vs. Kawhi Leonard
Leonard is averaging 24.4 points. 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is shooting 52.1% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. He missed his first game of the season against the Thunder with a hip injury. He is questionable for this game and will be a game time decision. If he plays, he is the Clippers best player and one the Celtics need to slow down, especially on the perimeter, where he shoots 42.9%.

Jayson Tatum vs. Paul George

George is averaging 22.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He is shooting 45.3% from the field and 40.1% from beyond the arc. George is a threat to score from the perimeter, so the Celtics need to stay with him on defense. He is also a good defender and will make things more difficult for Tatum to score, so hopefully he looks to find the open man.

Honorable Mention
Jrue Holiday vs. James Harden
Harden has been playing well since coming to the Clippers. He is averaging 17.4 points, 4.8 rebound, 7.7 assists, and 1.5 assists per game. He is shooting 46.8% from the field and 43.0% from beyond the arc. As with both Kawhi and George, he shoots very well from the outside, so the Celtics need to stay with him on the perimeter.

Keys to the Game
Defense - As always, defense is a key to getting a win in this game and in every game. The Clippers average 117.0 points per game (9th) while the Celtics average 118.9 points per game (7th). The Celtics rank fourth with a defensive rating of 110.2 while the Clippers rank ninth with a defensive rating of 112.5. The Celtics must make defense a priority, and they have to put out more effort on defense than the Clippers if they want to win this game.

Rebound - The Celtics can’t score if they don’t have the ball. Much of rebounding is effort and desire, so the Celtics must put out the extra effort on the boards to give themselves extra possessions as well as to limit the Clippers fast break opportunities and second chance points. When the Celtics put out extra effort on the boards, it often carries through to other areas of their game. The Celtics average 46.9 rebounds per game (4th) while the Clippers average 44 rebounds per game (16th). The Celtics have to work harder on the boards than the Clippers.

Energy and Effort - The Celtics have to come out with energy and have to play harder than the Clippers, from the opening tip until the final buzzer. 100% effort from every Celtic will be needed to get a win in this one. The Clippers are much better than their record and the Celtics can’t expect to win with less than 100% effort. They have to be the more aggressive team and the team that wants it more. They will get the Clippers best effort and so they simply must work harder to get a win.

Play the Right Way - The Celtics moved the ball and racked up 35 assists against the Kings and enjoyed a big win over them. Five players had 20+ points and no player tried to slow down the game or to do too much. The Celtics struggle when players over dribble, iso and try to do too much. On the other hand, good things happen when they move the ball and look to make the extra pass and find the open man and the best shot. The Celtics need to continue to play unselfish ball and play together.

X-Factors
Injuries - Injuries may affect this game for both teams. Kawhi Leonard is questionable for this game and the Clippers are definitely much tougher to beat with him in the starting lineup. The Celtics will definitely miss Kristaps Porzingis and may also be without Jayson Tatum. Hopefully Tatum can play, but if not, missing both Porzingis and Tatum would make it really tough for the Celtics.

Coaching - Tyronn Lue got his start in the coaching ranks on the Celtics when he was named the director of basketball development in 2013. He is now the head coach of the Clippers. Will he be more motivated to get a win over the team that gave him his start? The Celtics under second year coach Joe Mazzulla have been playing really well, but hit a hiccup against Steve Kerr and the Warriors. Can Mazzulla get the best of the more seasoned Tyronn Lue?

Officiating - I know that I say this every game, but the officiating always can be an x-factor in every game. Every crew calls the game differently — whether they call every little ticky-tack foul or let a lot of contact go and let the teams play. Some refs favor the home team and some not so much. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the game is being called and not let the officiating take away from their focus.

And make sure to check out CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a live conversation about the game. To participate, just create a free account, connect your LP sub if you have it, and join our community!