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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2019 2:15:40 GMT -5
Aron Baynes and Marcus Smart listed as questionable vs Toronto Kyrie Irving was not listed on the injury report. By Chris Grenham
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Boston Celtics center Aron Baynes (hand) has been upgraded to questionable for tomorrow night’s game vs the Toronto Raptors. Marcus Smart (illness) is also listed as questionable.
Baynes has missed the Celtics’ previous 13 games after suffering a left fourth metacarpal fracture on December 19th against the Phoenix Suns. If he were to return against the Raptors on Wednesday, it would be four weeks to the day of his injury. He was originally given a 4-6 week timetable following surgery. Smart missed Monday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets due to illness. He did not participate in the team’s shootaround yesterday morning. Kyrie Irving also missed Monday’s loss due to a quad contusion, but he was not listed on the most recent injury report. Toronto has a lengthy injury report of their own, as they’ll be without center Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) and wing OG Anunoby (personal reasons). Valanciunas suffered a dislocated left thumb in early December, which has caused him to miss the last month. He’ll remain out for at least the next three weeks. Guard Fred VanVleet missed Sunday’s game against the Washington Wizards due to a bruised thigh and is listed as questionable. C.J. Miles is also questionable with a hip injury. The Celtics and Raptors tip off from TD Garden at 8:00 PM EST on Wednesday night.
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Post by petey62 on Jan 16, 2019 8:58:25 GMT -5
Tonight will be a very telling game. First off, I want a Celtics win. With all that this team is going through, I'll take a win tonight at the bare minimum.
BUT HERE IS WHAT I PREFER...........A STATEMENT. I don't want to narrowly win with Kawhi missing a 3-pointer as time expires. I don't want to win with Kyrie hitting an amazing shot at the buzzer.
I don't want a win with descriptions such as "comeback", "survived", "miraculous", or "held on". I want a Celtics win with descriptions such as "dominant", "convincing", "blowout", and "clinic".
I want Ojeleye, Wannamaker, Theis, Yabusele, and PJ Dozier on the court when the announcer says "TWO MINUTES" left in the 4th quarter.
This team needs a "GOOD WIN" just to let everyone know we're still a force to be reckoned with.
I sure hope we get it tonight.
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2019 12:17:55 GMT -5
And, as Tom Lane reports @ CelticsLife blog, "Celtics followers may get a look at the newest member of the Raptors, Patrick McCaw. He played for the Warriors - had a cup of coffee with Cleveland, playing only three games - and was signed by Toronto as a free agent."
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2019 13:03:42 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2019 19:49:29 GMT -5
Preview: Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics Game #44 The Celtics look to get back on track as they host the Toronto Raptors By flceltsfan
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics return home from an 0-3 road trip to face the East’s top team, the Toronto Raptors. This is the 3rd game of a 4 game series between the Celtics and the Raptors this season. The Raptors won the first game 113-101 in Toronto on 10/19 while the Celtics won the second game in Boston 123-116 on November 16.
In the last 5 seasons, Toronto is 14-8 versus the Celtics and hasn’t lost the season series between them since the 2012-13 season. The Raptors lead the east and are 1.5 games ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee and 7 games ahead of Boston. The Raptors are 15-8 on the road while the Celtics are 15-5 at home. The Raptors have won their last 5 games while the Celtics are on a 3 game losing streak.
The Celtics are finally getting healthy once again. Kyrie Irving missed Monday’s game with a quad injury but as of now is not on the injury list for this game and is expected to play. Aron Baynes has been out with a hand injury since December 19, but is expected to be available for this game. Marcus Smart missed Monday’s game with an illness and is also expected to be available for this game.
The Raptors are still dealing with some injury troubles. Their starting center, Jonas Valanciunas, has been sidelined with a thumb injury since December 12 and will miss this game. OG Anunoby is listed as out for personal reasons. CJ Miles (hip) and Fred VanVleet (thigh) are both listed as questionable for this game.
Probable Celtics Starters
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Marcus Morris
C: Al Horford
Celtics Reserves
Terry Rozier Jaylen Brown Daniel Theis Semi Ojeleye Guerschon Yabusele Brad Wanamaker Robert Williams
Injuries
Jabari Bird (personal) out Aron Baynes (hand) probable Marcus Smart (illness) probable
Two Way Players
RJ Hunter P. J. Dozier
Coach
Brad Stevens
Probable Raptors Starters
PG Kyle Lowry
SG: Danny Green
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Pascal Siakam
C: Serge ibaka
Raptors Reserves
Greg Monroe Malachi Richardson Delon Wright Norman Powell Patrick McCaw
Injuries
C. J. Miles (hip) questionable Fred VanVleet (thigh) questionable O. G. Anunoby (personal) out Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) out
Two Way Players
Chris Boucher Jordan Loyd
Head Coach
Nick Nurse
Key Matchups
Jayson Tatum
vs
Kawhi Leonard
Leonard has been playing very well for the Raptors, averaging 27.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He had 31 points and 15 rebounds in the last game between these two teams. He is also a very good defender and Tatum will have his hands full on both ends of the court as he tries to slow Leonard down.
Kyrie Irving
vs
Kyle Lowry
Lowry has given the Celtics problems in the past and so they need to pay particular attention to slowing him down. He is averaging 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.5 steals. Lowry leads the team with 13 double doubles and is second in the league with 9.6 assists per game. Hopefully Kyrie is 100% as he will need to be to deal with Lowry.
Honorable Mention
Celtics Bench vs Raptors Bench The Celtics have talented players on the bench that are capable of putting up 70 points in a game but they have been struggling somewhat in recent games. The Raptors have a strong bench, although injuries have cut into it somewhat. The Celtics need their reserves to come in and play with a sense of urgency they haven’t always shown.
Keys to the Game
Defense Defense has always been and always will be the key to winning. The Celtics have let their defense slip some recently and have dropped to 5th in the league with a defensive rating of 104.6. The Raptors are 9th with a defensive rating of 106.9. The Celtics need to play particularly tough defense against the Raptors since they are a good scoring team, averaging 114.0 points per game and are capable of putting up a lot of points in a hurry. If Marcus Smart can’t play, they will miss his defense but the rest of the team must step up and play tough team defense whether he plays or not.
Be Aggressive The Celtics must be the more aggressive team. They have to be aggressive on defense, in going after loose balls, in crashing the boards, and just all around going all out. They have to aggressively attack the basket. They need to start the game with that aggressive attitude and be aggressive through the whole game with no let up. Their only hope to win is for every player to play their hardest and to play harder than the Raptors.
Rebound The Celtics must crash the boards. They can’t score if they don’t have the ball. Much of rebounding is effort and desire, and the Celtics have lacked both in many games this season. The Celtics have to be the team that puts out more effort from every player to go after rebounds. The Celtics are averaging 45.0 rebounds per game while the Raptors average 45.3 rebounds per game. The Celtics have to crash the boards and beat the Raptors to the rebounds if they want to get a win.
Play TEAM Ball The Celtics have been snipping at each other after the past 3 games. Morris and Brown got into a shouting and shoving match. Kyrie blased the young guys and Brown seemingly came back at him. And Kyrie shouted at Hayward after he didn’t get the ball on the last play against Orlando. They have to put all that behind them and get on the same page and play as a team, make the extra pass, and have each others’ backs. Now is not the time to splinter but they have to pull together and make it us against the world rather than against each other.
X-Factors
Home Again - The first game home after a road trip is sometimes one of the hardest. The Celtics need to stay focused and use the crowd to give them added energy to pick up their game and get the win. They have to be extra motivated to protect home court and stay focused on playing their hardest.
Effort and Focus - Both seemed to be missing on their recent road trip. They missed free throws, which is often the lack of focus. They let their opponents beat them to rebounds and to loose balls. They need to get back to scrapping the entire game and playing with heart and grit and not let up. They gave effort for about 6 minutes against Brooklyn and almost pulled out the win. They need to give that kind of effort on both ends of the court for the entire 48 minutes.
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Post by fierce on Jan 16, 2019 19:49:38 GMT -5
Baynes, Smart, and Kyrie will play.
Good test for the Celts.
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Post by cole on Jan 16, 2019 19:57:39 GMT -5
Let's go Celtics!
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2019 20:01:33 GMT -5
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2019 20:08:03 GMT -5
PREDICTION.
We have shot less than 35% of threes the last 3 games and lost.
Tonight the three ball falls for us and we win.
Same tune every game hit the threes and win miss alot and lose.
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2019 20:17:06 GMT -5
Leonard picks Horford's pocket on 1st play ...
Redemption on next thnx to Kyrie ...
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:19:05 GMT -5
Tatum looking hesitant out there.
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:19:57 GMT -5
Leonard playing C's sorry a$$ defense like a whistle.
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:21:01 GMT -5
Any player with half a brain has a field-day against our kids.
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:21:16 GMT -5
Love Smart man...
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:22:07 GMT -5
That was a moving screen.
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:22:57 GMT -5
C's are being outplayed. Nothing we aren't use to by now.
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2019 20:23:54 GMT -5
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:24:01 GMT -5
Kind of a relief watching a smart basketball team though... Toronto is going to the finals I think.
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:26:56 GMT -5
Way to go Al... lol, tripped up Kyrie.
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:28:39 GMT -5
Wow... Raps have 20 points at the 6 minute mark.
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2019 20:29:44 GMT -5
that 10 pt deficit (half of the usual hole we dig) has been cut to 5pts after a Brad Stevens timeout.
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:30:08 GMT -5
Toronto is such a smart ball club. Wow...
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:31:14 GMT -5
lol. C's have no clue what's even happening to them. lol
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Post by drboogiebone on Jan 16, 2019 20:32:50 GMT -5
I think the C's are too busy worried about building up their name/brand to be a good "team". Bunch of individuals.
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2019 20:33:48 GMT -5
Irving's shot deflected and the Raps quickly push their lead back to 10 ...
Hayward hits a bunny in the lane to make it an 8pt deficit.
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