Preview - Celtics Try to Corral Chandler, Bulls

	VS.
6-8	Record	7-6
98.3	PPG	94.8
100.5	PPGA	96.2
46.8	FG%	43.0
45.9	Opp. FG%	43.2
41.4	Rebounds	41.7
22.9	Assists	22.2
16.8	Turnovers	15.1
7.1	Steals	6.1
5.9	Blocks	3.7
0	Season Series	0

The Celtics look for their second consecutive win in tonight's showdown with the Chicago Bulls. Chicago is coming off a disappointing 109-101 loss against the Knicks where they were outscored by sixteen points in the final quarter. The Celtics, of course, are looking to build on an impressive 110-103 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers that was highlighted by spectacular performances from Paul Pierce (32 points, 11 rebounds, 57% FG) and Kendrick Perkins (12 points, 19 rebounds).

This is a big game for the Celtics as they face a five game road trip next week and want to begin that trip with some momentum.

The Chicago Bulls do not stand out in many statistical categories and do not boast any flashy superstars, but they are a well-rounded and disciplined team that wins with energy and a balanced offensive attack. Six Chicago players average double figures in points, led by key reserve Ben Gordon (14.5 PPG). The Celtics will need to play solid team defense tonight to contain all these scoring options. In particular, the Green must be conscious of Chicago's perimeter shooters. The Bulls are fourth in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage with Gordon, Andres Nocioni and Kirk Hinrich being their most dangerous marksmen.

On offense, look for Boston to play aggressively and force a foul-prone Bulls team to send them to the line. The Knicks took 32 more free throws than the Bulls on Wednesday night! A similar free throw shooting disparity tonight should mean a Celtics victory and a two game winning streak.

POINT GUARD
Delonte West Points: 8.5 Rebounds: 4.3 Assists: 4.6	Chris Duhon Points: 10.0 Rebounds: 3.6 Assists: 6.2
Both Chris Duhon and Kirk Hinrich serve as floor generals for Chicago but Duhon technically starts at the point. Duhon is a solid ball handler who does a nice job of protecting the basketball, running the offense and playing tough defense. Delonte West needs to focus on limiting his turnovers tonight and pushing the basketball against a Bulls team that doesn't have Boston's offensive firepower and would prefer to play at a slower pace.

SHOOTING GUARD
Ricky Davis Points: 22.0 Rebounds: 4.9 Assists: 5.7	Kirk Hinrich Points: 14.4 Rebounds: 2.5 Assists: 7.2
This should be an interesting matchup tonight. Hinrich is one of the more underrated players in the NBA. He is seventh in the NBA in assists, he shoots well and plays solid defense. Look for Ricky Davis to try and disrupt Hinrich by pressuring him on offense and forcing the Bulls guard to exert a lot of energy on the defensive end of the floor. Hinrich is a key cog in the Bulls attack and Ricky Davis has an opportunity to limit Hinrich's effectiveness with his energy and athleticism.

SMALL FORWARD
Paul Pierce Points: 25.8 Rebounds: 8.9 Assists: 4.2	Andres Nocioni Points: 12.2 Rebounds: 5.5 Assists: 1.3
Paul Pierce is playing the best basketball of his career and he will be tested tonight. He did not shoot the ball well against the Bulls last season (35%) in large part because of Chicago's defensive pressure. Andres Nocioni will get the start, but Luol Deng has been particularly effective against Pierce. Deng is tall, long and physical enough to both alter Pierce's outside shots and keep the Celtics captain from getting easy buckets down low. Pierce's effectiveness against Deng will be a big factor in the outcome of tonight's game. On defense, Pierce will need to pay attention to Nocioni when he is in the game because he is a top-10 three point shooter so far this season (47%).

POWER FORWARD
Raef LaFrentz Points: 11.6 Rebounds: 5.4 Assists: 1.1	Michael Sweetney Points: 11.4 Rebounds: 6.8 Assists: 1.0
Michael Sweetney is another underrated player on this Bulls team. Sweetney came over to Chicago in the Eddy Curry deal and he has been playing nice basketball for the Bulls this season. He is a good low post scorer and can be a big difference maker on the boards. Raef LaFrentz will need to play physical defense tonight and focus on keeping Sweetney off the boards. On offense, LaFrentz should see a lot of open looks because Sweetney does not like playing defense on the perimeter.

CENTER
Kendrick Perkins Points: 2.1 Rebounds: 4.6 Assists: 0.6	Tyson Chandler Points: 5.7 Rebounds: 9.3 Assists: 1.0
Kendrick Perkins is coming off a career game against Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Celtics fans shouldn't expect to see 19 rebounds from Perk every night but he will have another opportunity for a big game against Tyson Chandler tonight. Chandler plays much like Philadelphia's Samuel Dalembert. He's long, thin and is an important defensive presence for Chicago but he is not expected to score much. Chandler is also a shot blocker who will often be out of position for defensive rebounds. Look for Perk to use his superior strength and physical style of play to crash the offensive glass much like he did against Dalembert. Celtics fans could see Perk's first back-to-back double-double tonight.

BENCH
Mark Blount Points: 12.3 Rebounds: 4.1 Assists: 1.9	Ben Gordon Points: 14.5 Rebounds: 2.5 Assists: 2.2
Bench play will be a big key to tonight's game. The Celtics have the better starting lineup but Chicago's strong bench could negate this advantage if the C's second unit cannot keep pace. Chicago has a deep and very productive bench (over 50 PPG this season) headlined by last season's Rookie of the Year, Ben Gordon. Gordon is a big time scoring threat who can take over games when he's in a groove. Othella Harrington, Darius Songalia and Luol Deng will also see significant minutes tonight for Chicago. Harrington and Songalia are solid veterans who bring physical toughness to the Bulls bench while Deng, a second-year player, provides another scoring option and excellent perimeter defense. The Celtics will look for Mark Blount and Al Jefferson to have big games tonight. Both Celtics 'bigs' need to look to score off the bench to keep pace with Chicago's second unit.