Spurs at Celtics Previews

[duncan228]

Starting to get some news for Sunday's game.

Robinson probable for Spurs (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/)
by Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff

Guard Nate Robinson practiced Saturday afternoon and will likely be available for the Celtics' game against San Antonio Sunday night. Robinson sustained a sprained ankle in the Celtics' win over Sacramento Friday.

Captain Paul Pierce participated only in shooting drills during the team's one-hour workout in Waltham but is expected to be in the starting lineup. Center Kendrick Perkins (knee tendinitis) will likely sit out his second successive game.

"Paul was sore, so that took us down to 10 (players)," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of the training session. "Nate's pretty good, I think he'll play. I don't think Perk will play. He may play, but right now I would say no. The way we're looking at it it gives him two or three extra days, then he can play on Wednesday, so it just gives him a longer rest."

[honestfool84]

right now, i honestly don't care WHO is in the lineup... i just want a win.


a win would be HUGE.

[spursfaninla]

This win would be good, but not as important as beating any of the western playoff teams.

We are not meeting Boston in the playoffs, so other than standings, this game does not matter. Boston is not better than Atlanta or Ok, and certainly not as good as the Lakers or Cleveland.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Celtics are so old and crumbling apart....they're like the Spurs of the East. We have a great chance to win this game.

Go spurs! :tu

ps i think rasheed destroys us, he will thrive on slow duncan

[ManuTastic]

ps i think rasheed destroys us, he will thrive on slow duncan

Rasheed hasn't been destroying anything but donuts this season...

[tothrowed]

Im a lil concerned about who is going to cover rasheed,perkins,davis

[jjktkk]

I worry more about Garnett, than Wallace. Wallace will do the Spurs a big favor and hang outside the 3-point line most of the game and launch 3's.

[raspsa]

Finley can\t wait to show the Spurs what he can do...

[duncan228]

San Antonio (43-28) at Boston (47-25) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010032802&prov=ap)
Game info: 8:00 pm EDT Sun Mar 28, 2010
TV: ESPN, CSNE
By Mike Lipka

The Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs boast recent championships and 33-year-old future Hall of Fame power forwards, but each team has also struggled through injuries to maintain its status as a title contender.

Thanks to late-season surges, both may be accomplishing that goal.

The veteran clubs meet Sunday night in Boston, where the Atlantic Division champion Celtics have won five straight to move back among the Eastern Conference’s top three.

After the Spurs won their fourth title in the Tim Duncan era in 2007, Boston ended a 22-year championship drought in 2008 in its first season after adding Kevin Garnett.

Both power forwards have topped 20,000 career points and 11,000 rebounds, but they’ve seen their numbers decline. After missing 10 games with a knee injury Dec. 30-Jan. 20, Garnett is hoping he has found a way to elevate his game heading into the playoffs.

He had 18 points and 13 rebounds for his second straight double-double, helping Boston beat Sacramento 94-86 on Friday night to lock up its third straight division title.

“I guess that’s good,” coach Doc Rivers said. “When you have a team with your goals so high, you don’t really focus on it.”

Combined with Atlanta’s loss at Philadelphia on Friday, the Celtics (47-25) also took sole possession of third place in the East.

They still trail Cleveland and Orlando thanks largely to a 6-11 stretch Dec. 27-Jan. 31, but the Celtics have won six of seven and gone 15-7 since the All-Star break.

Paul Pierce has bounced back from injuries to average 24.0 points in his last six games, scoring a team-high 22 against the Kings, but point guard Rajon Rondo drew the bulk of the praise Friday for totaling a career-high 18 assists.

“He affects the game in so many different ways,” Garnett said. “You want your point guard setting the tone every night. You want your point guard leading us.”

San Antonio (43-28) has been forced to make do lately without starting point guard Tony Parker, who has missed 11 straight games with a broken hand and may not return until the playoffs.

The Spurs are 7-4 since the injury, with their losses coming to the West-leading Los Angeles Lakers and East powers Cleveland, Orlando and Atlanta.

They beat the NBA-leading Cavaliers 102-97 on Friday night, led by Manu Ginobili’s 30 points.

“It means we’re not that far from the best,” Ginobili said. “Of course, it’s just a game, and at home. But it makes us feel better.”

Since entering the starting lineup in place of Parker, Ginobili has averaged 23.8 points - 8.0 above his season average.

“With Tony down, he’s got the ball in his hands a little more, He’s a playmaker,” Duncan said. “If you can put the ball in his hands and let him get comfortable, these are the results you get.”

The Spurs have won 11 of 15 but still find themselves near the bottom of the West. They are one loss away from tying their most in a season since drafting Duncan in 1997, going 53-29 in 1999-2000.

This will be Michael Finley’s first time facing San Antonio since the Spurs waived him March 1. The Celtics signed Finley five days later. The veteran swingman and former All-Star, who had averaged 3.7 points in 25 games this season with San Antonio, has fared slightly better since joining Boston, averaging 5.8 points on 55.1 percent shooting.

The Celtics have won four of five against the Spurs since acquiring Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007, posting a 90-83 victory at San Antonio on Dec. 3. The Spurs won their last visit to Boston, 105-99 on Feb. 8, 2009.

That was one of six home losses for the Celtics last season. They have doubled that total in 2009-10, but are on their longest home win streak of the season.

*********************

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Tim Duncan SA 18.2
Paul Pierce Bos 18.2

Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 10.2
Kendrick Perkins Bos 7.6

Assists
Tony Parker SA 5.7
Rajon Rondo Bos 9.8

[duncan228]

Kendrick Perkins in pain (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/20100327kendrick_perkins_in_pain_knee_grounds_cent er/)
Knee grounds center
By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook
Boston Herald.com

The Celtics are so accustomed to injury issues, they barely flinch.

Except that Kendrick Perkins, who missed last night’s 94-86 win against Sacramento with knee tendinitis, is also expected to miss tomorrow’s game.

Doc Rivers also said Nate Robinson is 50-50, after leaving in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle.

“I guess it’s been bothering him for a while, but I didn’t know how bad it was,” Rivers said of Perkins. “(Trainer) Eddie (Lacerte) came to me after the game the other night and said, ‘You have to talk Perk into sitting down, because it’s not working for me.’

“Even Nate wanted to come back in in the second half, and his ankle was huge,” Rivers continued. “You just have to get our guys to understand that it’s about being healthy.”

*********************

Benching Baby

Rivers angrily replaced Glen Davis with Brian Scalabrine in the third quarter after the former committed a triple fault - a turnover, followed by a foul, followed by a technical foul. Davis didn’t play another minute.

“You don’t get a tech in that situation,” said Rivers. “When you’re up 18 points and your team’s struggling, you’re not (Kevin) Garnett or one of those guys. You don’t get the liberty, anyway, to talk to the officials.

“And he wasn’t playing well, anyway, at that point. He was playing like the score, and I just told him he’s not at that point in his life where he can turn it on and off. We need him to be an every possession player, and I didn’t think he was that tonight.”

*********************

Ol’ Kentucky home

Rajon Rondo has generally been a stranger in Lexington since he left the Kentucky program, but attended his first UK game since leaving on Thursday night in Syracuse, watching the Wildcats rout Cornell in their NCAA Sweet 16 game.

Coach John Calipari, who had dinner with Rondo in Chicago during the playoffs last year, had him address the team beforehand.

“I told them it’s hard what they’re trying to do,” he said. “I told them to seize the moment.”

*********************

Getting his ’Do

Garnett has played with his share of great point guards, including Stephon Marbury and Chauncey Billups in their younger years. He has an interesting view of where Rondo fits in that company.

“’Do doesn’t just score the ball,” said Garnett. “He’s just as intelligent as Steph or Chauncey, but he’s probably more active on defense. He strong enough, he’s tall enough and he’s long enough to come in and get you 10 to 12 rebounds if you want to.

“At the same time, he sees the same plays before they happen (as Marbury),” he continued. “But he affects the game in more than one area - more than three areas, if you ask me. If he had anything that sort of put him over the other two, it’s because he’s so active.

“I think as he grows, it depends on how hungry he is. I tell him this all the time. It’s just up to him to whether he wants to be a prolific scorer. But at the same time, just affecting the game in so many areas is huge.”

*********************

Looking good

Michael Finley missed his only shot last night, but he was as great a fit as ever.

“With Finley, it’s easier because he can shoot,” said Rivers. “He can shoot today, tomorrow and the next day. When you put him on the floor, you’re guaranteed one thing - even if he doesn’t make a shot, there’s going to be a guy standing next to him, and that makes it easier for Rajon and everyone else on the floor.

“He’s just a solid player. On the bench you really need that, especially with this bench.”

*********************

Scouting Report: Spurs at Celtics (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1242881&srvc=rss)
By Herald Staff

THE NUMBERS

5: Celtics’ wins in the last six games against San Antonio.

18: Consecutive losses to the Spurs before this recent stretch for C’s.

WHO’S HURT

For the Celtics, Kendrick Perkins (sore left knee) is doubtful and Nate Robinson (sprained left ankle) is probable. For the Spurs, Tony Parker (fractured fourth right metacarpal) is out.

WHO’S HOT

Tony Allen has made 10-of-12 shots in the last three games after not playing in the two prior games.

WHO’S NOT

Rasheed Wallace is averaging 9.0 points this season, but he has scored just 14 (3.5 ppg) in his last four games.

BOTTOM LINE

With Parker out, Rajon Rondo should be able to better impose his will on the game. The Celtics need to get out and run against a team that approaches them in overall age of key players.

[SequSpur]

Boston by 20.

[Dr. Gonzo]

I hope Manu does something worthy of making an animated gif.

[Sean Cagney]

Rasheed hasn't been destroying anything but donuts this season...

:lol:lol:lol

[baseline bum]

Robinson probable for Spurs (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/)
by Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff



Crap. I thought David was returning to save the season.

[Spursfan092120]

Im a lil concerned about who is going to cover rasheed,perkins,davis


" Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of the training session. "Nate's pretty good, I think he'll play. I don't think Perk will play. He may play, but right now I would say no. The way we're looking at it it gives him two or three extra days, then he can play on Wednesday, so it just gives him a longer rest."


:huh

[timtonymanu]

Fuck Keith Bogans if he cant guard Michael Finley.

And fuck Michael Finley if he has a good game tomorrow.

[raspsa]

Its called the Wallace/Garnett effect.. what did you expedct with those two as role models?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benching Baby

Rivers angrily replaced Glen Davis with Brian Scalabrine in the third quarter after the former committed a triple fault - a turnover, followed by a foul, followed by a technical foul. Davis didn’t play another minute.

“You don’t get a tech in that situation,” said Rivers. “When you’re up 18 points and your team’s struggling, you’re not (Kevin) Garnett or one of those guys. You don’t get the liberty, anyway, to talk to the officials.

“And he wasn’t playing well, anyway, at that point. He was playing like the score, and I just told him he’s not at that point in his life where he can turn it on and off. We need him to be an every possession player, and I didn’t think he was that tonight.”

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Sun. Mar 28
San Antonio @ Boston: Mark Wunderlich; Matt Boland; Kane Fitzgerald

[Manu-of-steel]

Finley can\t wait to show the Spurs what he can do...

And the spurs can't wait what Finley will do on the defensive end- to stare at the man he's guarding as he drives to the hoop. I can't wait to see that also. On the other hand, Fin can still shoot.

[duncan228]

Surging Celtics Welcome Tim Duncan, Spurs to TD Garden (http://www.nesn.com/2010/03/surging-celtics-take-on-spurs-at-td-garden.html)
by Evans Clinchy
NESN.com

The Celtics knew they wanted to hit their stride in the final few weeks before the playoffs, and boy, are they ever. Friday night's victory over the Sacramento Kings, 94-86, was Boston's sixth win in seven games, and there's still four more games in this homestand yet.

The C's have plenty more time to find their rhythm. Next up is a San Antonio ballclub that's coming off a huge statement win over the Cavaliers on their home floor. The Spurs are building momentum as they prepare for playoff time, and this game will be another big test.

When & Where
Sunday, March 28, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

Records
Celtics (47-25, 1st place in Atlantic Division)
Spurs (43-28, 2nd place in Southwest Division)

Head to Head
This is the Celtics' second meeting with the Spurs this season. They won the first, 90-83, in San Antonio on Dec. 3. That victory, the sixth in the Celtics' season-long 11-game winning streak, featured a 9-for-15 shooting night from Kevin Garnett and a strong team defensive effort from the C's in the fourth quarter. This matchup is all about KG vs. Tim Duncan, and while Duncan has historically owned that battle over the years, the Big Ticket is starting to figure things out in his old age.

Skinny
The Celtics might as well be looking in the mirror. They walk into the Garden on Sunday night to face an aging team with a championship season in the rear-view mirror and high hopes of reclaiming Finals glory before it's too late. The Celtics are worried about the aging of their Big Three, and the Spurs have the same problem. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are still going strong, but the window's starting to close for Tim Duncan, and every year he has left is precious. The Spurs will try to make the most of this one.

Starting Lineups
Celtics
Point guard: Rajon Rondo
Shooting guard: Ray Allen
Small forward: Paul Pierce
Power forward: Kevin Garnett
Center: Rasheed Wallace

Spurs
Point guard: George Hill
Shooting guard: Manu Ginobili
Small forward: Richard Jefferson
Power forward: Tim Duncan
Center: Antonio McDyess

Stat Sheet
Celtics
The Celtics are now 17-10 against the Western Conference.

They are second in the NBA with 635 steals.

Rajon Rondo has 170 steals this season, an all-time Celtics record.

Rondo had 18 assists against the Kings on Sunday night, a career high.

Paul Pierce has made 5,373 free throws in his career. He set the Celtics' franchise record on Friday night, eclipsing John Havlicek's career total of 5,369.

Ray Allen is shooting 42.1 percent from three-point range in March, his best full month of the season to date.

Kevin Garnett has averaged 20.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.6 steals against the Spurs in his career.

Spurs
The Spurs are 17-17 on the road this season, tied with the Phoenix Suns for the fewest road wins among Western playoff contenders.

They are sixth in the NBA with a 47.2 team field goal percentage, tied with the Golden State Warriors.

Tim Duncan leads the Spurs in scoring with 18.2 points per game. He has only finished one of the last four seasons as the team's leading scorer.

Richard Jefferson has 12.1 points per game in his first season in a Spurs uniform. It's his lowest output since his rookie season of 2001-02.

George Hill has made 69 of 175 attempts from three-point range this season (39.4 percent).

Manu Ginobili had 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting in the Spurs' win over the Cavaliers on Friday night.

Antonio McDyess has averaged 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in his career against the Celtics.

Black and Blue
Celtics
Kendrick Perkins missed Friday's game against Sacramento with a sore left knee. He is likely to sit out Sunday night as well.

Nate Robinson left Friday's game with a sprained left ankle. He practiced with the team Saturday and is likely to return.

Spurs
Tony Parker is out with a broken right hand.

This Date in Celtics History
In 1995, Dominique Wilkins scores 19 points in a 126-115 Celtics win over the Heat in Miami. Wilkins thus moves past Jerry West and into eighth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list, with 25,207 points; he will eventually retire with 26,668. It is Wilkins' only season in a Celtics uniform.

Overheard
"It may mean more to me once I retire or I am away from here. I am just focused on winning. It is a great accomplishment. This organization has won so many championships and has had some great players come through. So many All-Stars have set records here."
--Rajon Rondo, who set a new Celtics record on Friday night with his 170th steal of the season.

Outlook
Neither one of these teams is particularly fast or explosive, but they're smart, fundamentally sound teams that play together and win together. Whichever team executes better, plays alert defense and avoids careless mistakes will come out on top. The Celtics are a team built around veteran leaders, and they should lean on the vets to lead them against Duncan and the Spurs. If the Big Three can each step up, the Celtics should be well on their way to their seventh win in eight games.

[DesignatedT]

no perkins should help timmy down low if he doesnt play. more scalabrine should cancel out bonner.

[crc21209]

Perkins being out should help the Spurs because he usually gives TD some trouble and defends him well....

[duncan228]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/lead/leadboston.jpg

Game 73/82: C’s (47-25) vs. Spurs (43-28) (http://celticshub.com/2010/03/28/game-7382-cs-47-25-vs-spurs-43-28/)
By Zach Lowe, CelticsHub.com

Offensive Efficiency:

Boston: 107.3 points/100 possessions (T-14th)

San Antonio: 109.9 points/100 possessions (9th)

Defensive Efficiency:

Boston: 102.3 points allowed/100 possessions (1st. Yup. 1st).

San Antonio: 104.9 points allowed/100 possessions (10th)

Probable San Antonio starters:

George Hill, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess

Thumbnail: The Spurs come to Boston needing every win they can get to avoid the 8th spot in the West and a first-round loss series against the Lakers. Manu Ginobili might be the hottest player in the league right now.

WHAT THE SPURS DO WELL

• Protect the rim. There has been much hand-wringing this season over the decline of the Spurs and the difficulty Gregg Popovich has faced integrating so many new players. But the 2010 Spurs are, in many ways, a classic Popovich Spurs team, only slightly worse. They protect the rim and the three-point line on defense and want a high percentage of their shots to come from those areas when they have the ball.

It all starts with Tim Duncan’s interior D. The Spurs rebound 76.3 percent of opponent misses, the 4th-best mark in the league. That’s still elite, but it’s down from their league-best defensive rebounding rate of 78 percent last season, according to Basketball-Reference (http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2009.html). Boston’s nice offensive rebounding run will likely come to an end tonight.

And, as always, Duncan and the Spurs make it difficult to convert baskets at the rim. Only three teams (Cleveland, Orlando and the Bulls) hold opponents to a lower shooting percentage at the rim than San Antonio does (58.2%), according to Hoopdata (http://hoopdata.com/oteamshotlocs.aspx). Boston hits 64.5 percent of its shots at the rim (http://hoopdata.com/teamshotlocs.aspx), the 2nd-best mark in the league. Who wins this battle will go a long way to deciding the game.

• Take care of the basketball. The Spurs, always careful, turn the ball over on just 12.8 percent of their possessions—the 9th-best mark in the league, according to BR. They led the NBA last season with a turnover rate of 11.7 percent. Again: They’re still good, just not quite as good.

• Defend the three. It’s not just that San Antonio’s opponents shoot poorly from three (though they do); it’s that they barely shoot threes at all. The Spurs allow just 14.1 three-point attempts per game, by far the lowest number in the league, according to Hoopdata (http://hoopdata.com/oteamshotlocs.aspx).

• Get to the rim. Though pace matters a bit, the fact is the Spurs did not attack the rim as often last season. Their 20.8 shot attempts per game per game was the lowest mark in the league (http://www.hoopdata.com/teamshotlocs.aspx?yr=2009&type=pg). That number is back up to 26.1 this season (http://www.hoopdata.com/teamshotlocs.aspx?yr=2010&type=pg), a league-average mark. Tim Duncan’s continued great play and the emergence of DeJuan Blair have a lot to do with this.

WHAT THE SPURS DO POORLY:

• More fouling. This is a section you have to write carefully, because the Coach Pop Spurs always rank at or near the bottom of the league in offensive rebounding and forcing turnovers because they choose to de-emphasize those things. Saying they do those things “poorly” isn’t really accurate.

And they’re still a relatively low-foul team on defense. Teams hit about .215 foul shots per field-goal attempt against the Spurs, the 11th-lowest mark in the league, according to BR. (The C’s, if you’re wondering, are among the most foul-prone teams in the league; they allow .250 opponent made foul shots per field goal attempt).

But that .215 number? That’s a big jump for the Spurs. They had the lowest opponent free throw rate in the league last season at .191.

• Get to the line. Only seven teams get their less often, per shot attempt, than San Antonio. That’s actually an improvement from 2009, when they finished last in foul shots per field-goal attempt.

PLAYER/S WHO MAKE ME WORRY:

• Ginobili. Utterly terrifying in late-game situations and on fire since the All-Star break. He’s throwing up a 21-5-5 since the break on 49 percent shooting, including nearly 42 percent from deep, according to ESPN’s statistics research group. Everything runs through Manu with the game on the line. As Kobe once said, Manu is a bad, bad boy.

• Blair. Terrorized Boston with an 18-11 on 9-of-11 shooting in the teams’ first meeting this season. He was getting around and by Perk, KG and Sheed on screen/rolls with ease, and the Manu/Blair screen/roll is already a legit NBA weapon. Glen Davis might be a better defensive match-up for him. (Baby didn’t play the first game).

PLAYER/S WHO DO NOT MAKE ME WORRY:

• Jefferson. Often looks lost on both ends and is slumping again after a recent burst of vintage Jefferson aggression and rim-attacking on offense. Has not given the Spurs what they hoped for in dealing for him. Perhaps the most overpaid guy in the league, non-Eddy Curry division.

• Tony Parker. He’s hurt and his country cheated to qualify for the World Cup. (Relax. I love Tony Parker, and the refs were blind).

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FROM BOSTON TONIGHT:

• Front-line defense. Without Perkins, KG and Sheed will share Duncan responsibilities. We all know how good Duncan is on the screen/roll and in isolation. Toss in the threat of Blair on the screen/roll and McDyess as a pick-and-pop guy or an escape hatch, and the bigs will have to be on their game tonight.

• Guarding Manu. Is Ray up to the challenge?

• Creativity from Rondo and the offense. George Hill, with his long reach, is going to guard Rondo, and he’s going to give him a lot of space to shoot jumpers. This has occasionally stalled Boston’s offense, especially when the team can’t force turnovers and get out in transition.

• The battle of the bench swing men. Daniels vs. TA vs. Finley for post-season minutes. Enjoy.

PREDICTION:

This feels like a win. Boston 101, Spurs 95.

[duncan228]

Celtics and Spurs Clash at the Garden (http://www.celticsblog.com/2010/3/28/1393812/celtics-and-spurs-clash-at-the)
by Greg Payne

The Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs square off at the Garden tonight at 8:00pm.

The Celtics have won five straight home games, including the first two of this current six-game homestand. The Spurs, meanwhile, have gone just 3-3 in their last six games, but are coming off a 102-97 victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

San Antonio is still playing without All-Star point guard Tony Parker, who suffered a broken hand against the Memphis Grizzlies back on March 6. His absence has certainly factored into the Spurs' up-and-down play of late, but as evidenced by their win over Cleveland, they're still more than capable of tackling the league's best teams.

Tim Duncan is still Tim Duncan, despite him slowing slightly with age. His 18.2 points per game average, along with his 10.2 rebounds per game mark still make him one of the league's best big men, and it will be enjoyable watching him go toe-to-toe with Kevin Garnett tonight. Duncan recorded just four rebounds in the Spurs' recent win over Cleveland, but do not be fooled. On two occasions this season, Duncan has hauled in 26+ rebounds by himself. He ripped off 27 boards in a win over the Hawks back on January 27, and 26 rebounds in a win over the Pacers on February 17. Those are legitimate 'Wow' stats.

Besides Duncan, the Spurs still have very capable players in Richard Jefferson, Manu Ginobili (30 points against the Cavaliers), and Antonio McDyess. Duncan and McDyess can both stretch the defense with a 15-foot jump shot, but McDyess still holds a slight edge in overall versatility, meaning Rasheed Wallace, who should start over Kendrick Perkins (knee tendinitis), should be matched up with him.

The Celtics' bench will also have to handle DeJuan Blair - the rookie rebounding sensation, who has thus far proven to be one of the steals of last summer's NBA draft. He's averaging just over seven points and six rebounds per game, but when the Celtics knocked off the Spurs, 90-83, back on December 3, Blair scored 18 points and grabbed 11 boards, helping to spark a late San Antonio rally.

Projected Starters:

Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace

Spurs: George Hill, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess

Health Check: For the Celtics, both center Kendrick Perkins (knee) and guard Nate Robinson (ankle), are listed as questionable.

For the Spurs, point guard Tony Parker (hand) is out.

Keep It In Mind: Michael Finley wants to 'destroy' the Spurs tonight.

Who's Hot: For the Celtics, the 'Big Three' combined for 60 points against the Kings on Friday.

For the Spurs, Manu Ginobili poured in 30 points against the Cavaliers on Friday.

Who's Not: For the Celtics, Michael Finley was held scoreless in 11 minutes of action against Sacramento.

For the Spurs, Matt Bonner scored just two points in nearly 20 minutes against the Cavs.

Key Matchup: Kevin Garnett vs. Tim Duncan

Honorable Mention: Rajon Rondo vs. George Hill

Skinny: Despite Tony Parker being out and the Spurs aging nearly as quickly as the Celtics, they are still a very skilled team, perfectly capable of handing the Celtics a loss at home tonight. The obvious suspects will have to be slowed: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Richard Jefferson. However, keep an eye on Rajon Rondo's matchup with George Hill. Hill's quick, and has played with respectable poise in Parker's absence. He's averaged over 15 points and 4 assists in the month of March so far, so Rondo could have his hands full.

The Spurs are averaging over 101 points per game for the season, and are allowing a shade over 96 on the other end. Not to sound like a broken record, but Boston's defense will need to be on point tonight, and the C's will also need to pay attention on the boards, as San Antonio ranks 11th in the NBA in rebounds per game, with just over 42 per contest. When the C's play the defense they're capable of playing, they can pretty much beat any other team in the league. It's when they get lackadaisical in that area that they begin to run into trouble. Here's hoping they can continue to re-establish a defensive tone against a very capable San Antonio Spurs team tonight.

[DAF86]

Keep It In Mind: Michael Finley wants to 'destroy' the Spurs tonight.

Thanks, I needed that.

[smeagol]

Thanks, I needed that.

Don't worry. That's a reporter talking out of his ass.

[duncan228]

Finley said it.


"I still want to beat them, believe me," said Finley. "I don't want to go out and roll over dead for them. It's still my job to go out there and do my best to give my team the best chance to win the ball game. Although we're friends, I want to destroy them. I still want to beat them. That's not going to change. The fact that we're friends, it's something we can laugh and cheer about before or after the game, but that 48 minutes, it's all about business."

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149635

[Ghazi]

go celtics!

[Xevious]

Eastern or western conference, regardless... back to back wins against Cleveland and Boston would be huge for this team.

And all things considered, going 2-2 this past week is not all that bad. Peaking at the schedule, OKC and Portland are playing today also. So the Spurs really need a win. Either Portland steals 7th seed, or OKC distances themselves further if Spurs lose. If both SA and Portland pull off wins, we move back into 6th seed.

[TD 21]

No Perkins means the Celtics won't have a true center, a power player or a plus rebounder on their front line. Excellent news for the Spurs, particularly for Duncan, who won't have to bang with Perkins. Look at the trickle down effect: Wallace will start, Bonner's minutes on him should be limited (which means he won't get destroyed in the post as much, since Wallaces' eyes light up when he sees Bonner on him) and a scrub like Williams will be in the rotation. Hopefully Pop uses his brain and plays McDyess (unless Bonner is badly outplaying him) down the stretch if it's close.

As ever, the Spurs need Mason to step up and relieve Ginobili/Hill of the ball handling/creating/scoring burden on the perimeter, as this is the front end of a back-to-back. Even if the Spurs do win, if it takes what it took (minutes and energy wise) from Ginobili and Hill against the Cavs, then all of a sudden tomorrow's result against the historically bad Nets could be in doubt.

[mogrovejo]

No Perkins means the Celtics won't have a true center, a power player or a plus rebounder on their front line. Excellent news for the Spurs, particularly for Duncan, who won't have to bang with Perkins. Look at the trickle down effect: Wallace will start, Bonner's minutes on him should be limited (which means he won't get destroyed in the post as much, since Wallaces' eyes light up when he sees Bonner on him) and a scrub like Williams will be in the rotation. Hopefully Pop uses his brain and plays McDyess (unless Bonner is badly outplaying him) down the stretch if it's close.

As ever, the Spurs need Mason to step up and relieve Ginobili/Hill of the ball handling/creating/scoring burden on the perimeter, as this is the front end of a back-to-back. Even if the Spurs do win, if it takes what it took (minutes and energy wise) from Ginobili and Hill against the Cavs, then all of a sudden tomorrow's result against the historically bad Nets could be in doubt.

I'd rather have Perkins available, but I don't think any player has caused Duncan as many problems throughout his career as Wallace has. Sheed and the Blazers were the first team to consistently make Duncan's life miserable and that continued on through to Detroit. They have had many great battles with Sheed doing well defensively against Duncan.

How are you a Spurs fan - using TD21 as a screenname - and don't know this shit?

[mogrovejo]

The rebounding is a worrying issue though.

[bostonguy]

Huge game for both teams.

[TD 21]

I'd rather have Perkins available, but I don't think any player has caused Duncan as many problems throughout his career as Wallace has. Sheed and the Blazers were the first team to consistently make Duncan's life miserable and that continued on through to Detroit. They have had many great battles with Sheed doing well defensively against Duncan.

How are you a Spurs fan - using TD21 as a screenname - and don't know this shit?

Who said I "don't know this shit"?

I know Wallace has guarded Duncan better than anyone, but with the state Duncan is currently in physically, I'd rather he defend Wallace, who's content to shoot three's and the occasional fadeaway in the post rather than a brute like Perkins, who is more of a post presence than Wallace and a more physical defender. The last thing the Spurs need is for Duncan to get beat on by arguably the most physical defender in the league.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Celtics are so old and crumbling apart....they're like the Spurs of the East. We have a great chance to win this game.

Go spurs! :tu

ps i think rasheed destroys us, he will thrive on slow duncan

Like I said. I was wrong about 'sheed, but damn do we own the Celtics now. They are so old and brittle and slow we actually own the shit out of them.
Such a far cry from only two seasons ago with virtually the same exact teams (!!) in which we were still near perfect dopplegangers yet they inevitably seemed to be on top of the matchup against us without fail.


pss never bet against a bonner in boston :smokin