Boston Celtics (46-21) at Atlanta Hawks (34-33) Sport #68 3/11/23

The Celtics journey to Atlanta to tackle the Atlanta Hawks for the second of three video games between these two groups this season. Within the first match, the Celtics beat the Hawks 126-101, additionally in Atlanta. The Celtics and Hawks will meet another time on April 9 at Boston. Final season, they tied the sequence 2-2 with every crew successful twice on their residence courtroom.

The Celtics are 2nd within the East. They’re 2.5 video games behind first place Milwaukee. They’re 1.5 video games forward of third place Philadelphia. and 5 video games forward of 4th place Cleveland. They’re 20-12 on the highway and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 28-16 towards Jap Convention opponents. They’d misplaced 3 straight video games earlier than successful their final sport.

The Hawks are eighth within the East, 2 video games behind seventh place Miami and 4 video games behind sixth place Brooklyn. They’re 1.5 video games forward of ninth place Toronto and three video games forward of eleventh place Chicago and out of the play-in. They’re 18-13 at residence and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 20-22 towards Jap Convention opponents. They’ve gained their final 2 video games, each towards the Wizards.

That is the second of again to again video games for the Hawks. They performed on the highway towards the Wizards on Friday night time and needed to journey again residence for this sport. That is the primary sport again at residence for them after a 4 sport highway journey the place they went 2-2. That is the primary sport of a 3 sport residence stand for the Hawks that may even embody the Minnesota and Golden State.

The Celtics are coming off a house stand the place they went 1-2, lastly getting a win over Portland of their final residence sport earlier than heading out on a 6 sport highway journey. That is the primary sport of that highway journey that may take the Celtics by means of Houston, Minnesota, Portland, Utah and Sacramento. The Celtics have had 2 days off going into this sport.

Payton Pritchard is out with a heel damage and is predicted to be out till no less than March 15. Robert Williams stays out with a hamstring damage, though he plans to journey with the crew. I’m guessing that Derrick White will stay within the beginning lineup in his place. Danilo Gallinari stays out with the ACL damage. The Hawks don’t have any gamers listed on the damage checklist.
Possible Celtics Starters

Celtics Reserves
Malcolm Brogdon
Grant Williams
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet
Blake Griffin
Mike Muscala

2 Means Gamers
JD Davison
Mfiondu Kabengele

Out/Accidents
Danilo Gallinari (ACL) out
Payton Pritchard (ankle) questionable
Robert Williams III (hamstring) out

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Hawks Reserves
Saddiq Bey
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Bruno Fernando
AJ Griffin
Aaron Vacation
Jalen Johnson
Vit Krejci
Tyrese Martin
Garrison Matthews
Onyeka Okongwu

2 Means Gamers
Trent Forrest
Donovan Williams

Out/Accidents
None listed

Head Coach
Quin Snyder

Key Matchups

Marcus Sensible vs Trae Younger
Younger averaging 26.7 factors per sport. He’s additionally averaging 3.0 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 1.2 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 43.2% from the sector and 32.9% from past the arc. The Celtics can have his palms full attempting to gradual him down and hold him from having an enormous sport.

Derrick White vs DeJounte Murray
Murray is averaging 21.0 factors, 5.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 46.7% from the sector and 36.2% from past the arc. The Celtics might want to work onerous on each ends of the courtroom to get the higher of this matchup.

Honorable Point out
Jaylen Brown vs De’Andre Hunter
Hunter is averaging 15.6 factors, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per sport. He’s taking pictures 46.5% from the sector and 36.3% from past the arc. The Celtics will want Jaylen Brown to play properly on each ends of the courtroom to win this one.

Keys to the Sport
Protection – Protection is at all times a key to successful video games. Protection is very essential for the Celtics on this sport as a result of the Hawks are a great scoring crew, averaging 117.2 factors per sport, which is sixth within the league. The Celtics are 4th, averaging 117.6 factors per sport. The Celtics have a defensive ranking of 110.9 which is 4th whereas the Hawks have a defensive ranking of 114.8, which is twenty second. The Celtics should make protection a precedence on this sport and so they must play that robust protection for 48 minutes and never let up.

Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is a key to successful. A lot of rebounding is effort and want. When the Celtics put out the additional effort on the boards, it often carries by means of to the remainder of their sport. The Hawks are averaging 43.5 rebounds per sport (14th) whereas the Celtics are averaging 45.3 rebounds per sport (sixth). The Celtics must aggressively go after each rebound. They’ll’t afford to present the Hawks additional possessions by permitting them to seize rebounds.

Be Aggressive – The Celtics have to be the crew that performs tougher and that desires this win extra. They must be aggressive in diving for free balls, in going to the basket, in getting stops on the defensive finish, and in going after rebounds. The Celtics must play with power and aggressiveness for 48 minutes on this sport with no let up.

Keep Centered – The Celtics want to come back in targeted and keep targeted all through the sport. They should give attention to their pictures and shot choice. They should give attention to making their free throws. They should give attention to enjoying protection and making the best switches. They should give attention to making good passes and never turning the ball over. And they should give attention to sharing the ball and making the best play. Lack of focus ends in these horrible taking pictures nights and excessive turnover video games.

X-Elements
On the Street – The Celtics are enjoying within the first of 6 consecutive highway video games. The Celtics must give attention to enjoying their sport and never be distracted by enjoying on the highway and on journey and on the hostile crowd. The Celtics must work even tougher to get a win when on the highway.

Teaching – The Celtics have a rookie coach who has been doing a great job up to now this season. The Hawks simply modified coaches and now have a really veteran coach in Quin Snyder, however he has solely been teaching the Hawks for a short while. Snyder has led the Hawks to 2 straight wins. Can he do it once more on this sport?

Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport somewhat in another way with some calling it tight and others letting them play. Some refs simply make head scratching calls whereas others strive very onerous to get them proper. In lots of video games this season, they name the sport tight within the first half after which loosen up on the calls within the second half or vice versa. The Celtics have to regulate to how the sport is being known as and give attention to enjoying the sport and never on the dangerous calls or no calls.