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Game Preview: Celtics at 76ers
 |
vs. |  |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | Record | 4-0 |
| 115.3 | PPG | 100.5 |
| 111.0 | PPGA | 81.3 |
| 52.6 | FG% | 50.0 |
| 47.5 | Opp. FG% | 39.1 |
| 42.7 | Rebounds | 40.0 |
| 18.7 | Assists | 27.0 |
| 16.0 | Turnovers | 15.5 |
| 9.3 | Steals | 8.0 |
| 5.3 | Blocks | 5.8 |
| Point Guard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Louis Williams |
Rajon Rondo | ||
| Shooting Guard | |||
Andre Iguodala |
Ray Allen | ||
| Small Forward | |||
Thaddeus Young |
Paul Pierce | ||
| Power Forward | |||
Elton Brand |
Kevin Garnett | ||
| Center | |||
Samuel Dalembert |
Kendrick Perkins | ||
| Sixth Man | |||
Marreese Speights |
Rasheed Wallace | ||
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Wachovia Center, 7:00 p.m.
TV: CSN New England
RADIO: WEEI 850 AM
The Boston Celtics look to keep the ball rolling at 7 p.m. tonight when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers on the road in the Wachovia Center. Boston, at 4-0, is one of five undefeated teams still standing in the NBA and has more wins than any team in the league.
Coming off of a 97-87 win over the Hornets Sunday night, the Celtics will be looking to take another step forward in their progression as a team. A goal Doc Rivers has set for this team is to get better each and every game, but he didn't think his team did that Sunday night. Yes, they notched another win, but they weren't working together as they had in their first three victories.
That team concept will need to get back on track tonight against a Philadelphia team that may wind up surprising some people in the Eastern Conference. They currently stand at 2-1, with their only loss coming to an undefeated Orlando Magic team.
Philadelphia may have lost a great point guard in Andre Miller this summer, but they aren't missing a beat on offense. They really look like a cohesive unit at that end of the floor, a much different scenario than last season.
With Elton Brand joining the team last season, there was plenty of hype in Philly and hopes of being a legit challenger in the East. But when the team took the court, they looked lost on offense, unsure of if they should play at a fast pace (as they did successfully in 2007-08) or play a half court game with Brand in the post. The offense didn't gel at all until Brand went out with an injury and the team got back to their run-and-gun ways.
They seem to have successfully incorporated Brand's abilities into that fast-paced offense this season, and the Celtics will need to be ready for it tonight. Although the Sixers won't be playing at a New York or Golden State pace, they'll be looking to run as much as possible on the older C's.
Boston has a tendency to take away opponents' strengths and that's exactly what they'll look to do tonight. If they can slow down Philadelphia's offense, it will be a testament to this team's elite defensive abilities and that "take a step forward" mentality. With that being said, here are three things to look for during tonight's game.
Getting Back on Defense
Philadelphia is second in the league in scoring with 115.33 PPG and will look to take advantage of their high-flying athleticism as much as possible. They send out one of the most athletic starting fives in the entire NBA, with nearly every position filled with a quick, long and wiry player.
The Sixers may be scoring at a high rate, but don't let that number fool you. This team is not playing out of control by any stretch or just trying to score as quickly as possible on every possession. They are in the bottom third of the NBA in field goal attempts per game, which speaks volumes to their ability to score effectively. Taking so few shots per game yet scoring the second-most points in the league is a difficult thing to do, but that's what the Sixers have done so far this season.
One of the reasons is because they capitalize on that athleticism in the open court. If they're given the opportunity to run a fast break, they're going to take it. Philadelphia is scoring nearly 18 points a night via the fast break through their three games this season. On the contrary, the Celtics are allowing their opponents to score only 8.25 points a night on the break.
So, as the numbers would indicate, this will be a battle of two teams' strengths. The Celtics will need to get back on defense and not allow the Sixers to run and get easy buckets. If they can slow Philadelphia down and turn this into a half court game, it will most definitely play into their favor.
3-Point Shooting
Another area where these two teams are very different is their mentality on 3-point shooting. Doc Rivers has opened up Boston's offense and is allowing them to take any 3-pointer, as long as the ball is working from the inside out. As a result, the C's are taking the third-most 3-point shots in the league (21.8 per game) and making 43.7 percent of them. The quick math will show you that a majority of Boston's 100.5 PPG is coming from behind the arc.
The same cannot be said for Philadelphia. While they shoot the ball relatively well from downtown, at 36.4 percent, they're making only 5.3 of those shots per game. Oddly enough, the Celtics are allowing opponents to make only 5.3 threes per game, so the law of averages implies that the Sixers will score about 15 points from 3-point range tonight.
Boston has done a great job of closing out on the perimeter this season and taking away threes, but they're going to need to be careful tonight. If they close on defenders too quickly, the Sixers will use their athleticism and drive to the basket, just as they've done in their three games this season. But if the C's can defend the perimeter under control while continuing their red-hot 3-point shooting at the other end, that will go a long way toward grabbing another win on the road.
KG and Sheed's Defense
Boston's frontline has matched up very well with their opponents so far this season, but tonight might be their toughest game yet. After yesterday's practice, Rivers noted that Thaddeus Young will be a tough matchup for the C's. In the starting lineup, he'll be playing small forward, and Paul Pierce should be able to defend him well at that position. But when the Sixers decide to play some small ball, that's when Boston will have some issues.
When Eddie Jordan chooses to put Young at power forward, Kevin Garnett or Rasheed Wallace will most likely wind up defending him. As we all know, KG is still regaining his defensive explosiveness and isn't moving laterally as well as he will be a month from now. Wallace is a fantastic post and team defender, but if Young can face up on him from 15 feet, the advantage probably falls to the offense.
In this situation, Garnett and Wallace will need to use their bodies effectively to take away angles and keep Young in front of them. Even if they can't do that on every possession, Boston's defensive rotations will usually make up for the mistake, but it won't happen every time. Simply put, Young's ability to put pressure on the Celtics' defense will be key in their attempt to hand Boston their first loss of the season.
