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How we see it goin' down: Celtics - Hawks Game 1

Tip: 7:00 PM    Court: Philips Arena   Watch it: TNT/CSNNE  Hear it: WEEI

         Referees: Mike Callahan, Marc Davis, John Goble (alternate: Kane Fitzgerald)

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The Matchup

Record: 39-27 (1st Atlantic, 4th seed)	Record: 40-26 (2nd Southeast, 5th Seed)
On the road:  15-18	At home: 23-10
Streak: Won 2	Streak: Won 2
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (19.4 ppg)	Buckets: Joe Johnson (18.8 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.2 rpg)	Boards: Josh Smith (9.6 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (11.7 apg)	Dimes: Jeff Teague (4.9 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 101.0 (27th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 104.9 (16th NBA)
Defensive Rating: 98.2 (1st NBA)	Defensive Rating: 101.2 (6th NBA)
Pace: 90.4 (21st NBA)	Pace: 90.2 (22nd NBA)

Last time

The Celtics won the season series against Atlanta, but each game was decided by single digits.  The Hawks won the last game, 97-92, in a game that saw Doc sit Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.

This time

Get it to: Whomever Jason Collins is guarding

Without Zaza Pachulia, Collins will get the start and will either have to guard Kevin Garnett or Brandon Bass, with Josh Smith guarding the other.  I'm not sure how the Hawks will play it, but someone will have a mis-match.  That's the guy who should get the ball.  Often.

I'm hoping Collins starts on KG.  Because KG can take advantage of the matchup and, when the Hawks give Collins help, Garnett can pass out of that and find the open guy.  If the Hawks are smart, they put Collins on Bass since he's less likely to pass.

Gotta stop:  Joe Johnson

Will it be Avery Bradley on Johnson, or will it be Pierce as the Hawks start Kirk Hinrich at the 2 spot and slide Johnson to the 3?

If it's Bradley, he'll have his work cut out for him against Johnson, who is six inches taller.  But Bradley has the ability get up close and prevent any drives to the basket and maybe force a few turnovers.  If it's Pierce, he'll have his work cut out for him because Johnson can penetrate.  But Pierce has the ability to use his body to cut off angles and the height to contest any Johnson jumpers.

The Wild Card:  The Celtics bench 

I'll include Ray as a possibility,but I know he's probably not going to see any time.  That means Sasha Pavlovic will be called on to contribute.  Greg Stiemsma is going to have to rise above the jitters and insanity that awaits him before tip off.  And Mickael Pietrus is going to have to get past any lingering knee pain.  If the C's 2nd unit and match it's recent production starting 2nd quarters, the Celtics will make short work of this series. 

How we see it goin' down

The Hawks are going to want to come out strong in front of what will probably be a crazy crowd.  Say what you will about Hawks fans in the regular season, they show up in the playoffs.  The Hawks will come out and throw a barrage of punches at the C's.  They need to stay calm, and focus on simply weathering the early storm and then counter punching.  

The bottom line is the Celtics hold most of the positional advantages.  They've got a better coach, the better pedigree, and the better record over the past couple of months.  The Celtics will steal game one of this series, 95-90, with Rajon Rondo flirting with another triple double. 

How we see it goin' down: Celtics vs. Bucks

Tip: 8:00 PM    Court: TD Garden   Watch it: CSN, NBALP Hear it: WEEI

         Referees:  Scott Foster, Matt Boland and James Williams

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The Matchup

Record: 38-27 (1st Atlantic, 4th East)	Record: 31-33 (3rd Central, 9th East)
At home: 23-9	On road: 14-18
Streak: Won 1	Streak: Won 2
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (19.5 ppg)	Buckets: Brandon Jennings (19.2 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.3 rpg)	Boards: Ersan Ilyasova (8.8 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (11.6 apg)	Dimes: Jennings (5.6 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 99.1 (24th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 103.1 (11th NBA)
Defensive Rating: 95.8 (2nd NBA)	Defensive Rating: 102.9 (18th NBA)
Pace: 92.5 (22nd NBA)	Pace: 96.3 (3rd NBA)

Last time

While playing their 7th game on an 8 game road trip, the Celtics snuffed the Bucks 6-game winning streak on March 22, 100-91. Paul Pierce lead all scorers with 25 points. The Celtics lead the season series 2-0.

This time

Get it to: The Young Guys

It should be assumed that the majority of the Big Four will get the night off, or see limited minutes to rest for the postseason, but that is not why the young guys are important tonight. With the postseason looming, it is important for the young guys (Bradley, JJJ, Bass, E'Twaun) going and in a nice groove heading into the postseason. The postseason is an intimidating animal for a young player and it will help them ease into things if they are playing well as the postseason kicks off. A more confident Bass and Bradley will only help the Celtics as they try to make one last push.

Gotta stop: Brandon Jennings

While this game matters little to both teams, it is still important to make a statement and shutting down your opponents best player is the best statement that can be made in a meaningless game. Rondo has always held the edge when squared off with the Bucks young guard. Jennings however is a lightning rod on offense and can score from almost anywhere on the floor once he's in a groove.

The Wild Card: Ersan Ilyasova

Ilyasova is a real pest. A poor mans Varejao in a way, he can get nasty in the paint, and do the dirty work when needed. He doesn't get much recognition and its usually those kind of guys that are a thorn in the Celtics side (see: Noah, Frye, Varejao).

How we see it goin' down

I see the Celtics rolling over in this one, they'd prefer to enter the postseason healthy rather than fight tooth and nail with a young athletic team with the playoffs on their doorstep. The Bucks have nothing to lose and want to go out with a bang, the Celtics have everything to lose. Monta Ellis will run circles around the Celtics backups.

MIL 95 BOS 82

How we see it goin' down: Celtics - Knicks

Tip: 8:00 PM    Court: Madison Square Garden   Watch it: TNT  Hear it: WEEI

         Referees: Dan Crawford, Tony Brown, Pat Fraher

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The Matchup

Record: 36-25 (1st Atlantic, 4th East)	Record: 31-29 (T-2nd Atlantic, 7th East)
On the road:  15-16	At home: 20-11
Streak: Won 2	Streak: Lost 1
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (19.1 ppg)	Buckets: Carmelo Anthony (22.2 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.4 rpg)	Boards: Tyson Chanler (10.0 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (11.6 apg)	Dimes: Baron Davis (4.7 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 100.8 (28th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 103.3 (21st NBA)
Defensive Rating: 98.1 (1st NBA)	Defensive Rating: 100.2 (4th NBA)
Pace: 90.4 (20th NBA)	Pace: 93.5 (3rd NBA)

Last time

Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists and Paul Pierce nailed a huge 3 to send the game into overtime as the Celtics beat the Knicks in a thriller 115-111.

This time

Get it to: Rajon Rondo

I went back and forth between Rondo and Pierce.  And I still think Pierce is having a big game (he's averaging more than 27 points against the Knicks over the past 3 years.  But Rondo is on too big of a roll.  Plust he's facing Baron Davis.  I'm looking at another potential triple double night out of Rondo.

Gotta stop:  Everyone not named Carmelo Anthony

He's really their only option at the moment. In their loss to the Heat, he had 42, the rest of the team had 43.  So let him go off for 50... which he won't against this defense, but still... so long as you rotate out well on the rest of the team, run them off 3's, and rebound... you'll be just fine.

The Wild Card:  Ray Allen  

He's playing with no limitations.  The Celtics say he's been running and shooting, so he's hopefully not rusty.  I've been a big fan of the 2nd quarter lineups headed up by Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.  Toss Pietrus in there now... and this Celtics bench is looking really good.  If Ray can bomb away off the bench, the C's could bury the Knicks early.

How we see it goin' down

I'm tempted to pick a tight game because the four point win the Celtics got in OT was twice the biggest margin of victory of either of the two other games.  But these are different teams right now.  The Knicks have no Lin or Stoudemire.  Baron Davis is their starting point guard, which is not good.  

The Celtics, meanwhile, are throwing the Rondo/Bradley tandem at them, letting Bradley ball hawk while Rondo plays passing lanes.  I don't think Davis and Shumpert are ready to handle that.  And there's no way the Knicks second unit, even with JR Smith's scoring potential, can keep up with the Ray/KG/Pietrus lineup to start the 2nd quarter.  

I think the C's break the pattern of close games and win this one by 10, 95-85.

How we see it goin' down: Celtics - Hawks

Tip: 8:00 PM    Court: TD Garden   Watch it: CSN Hear it: WEEI

         Referees: Marc Davis, Leroy Richardson, Zach Zarba

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The Matchup

Record: 33-24 (1st Atlantic, 4th East)	Record: 34-23 (2nd Southeast, 5th East)
At home: 20-9	On the road: 15-15
Streak: Won 3	Streak: Won 3
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (19.3 ppg)	Buckets: Joe Johnson (18.9 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.2 rpg)	Boards: Josh Smith (9.7 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (11.3 apg)	Dimes: Jeff Teague (4.9 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 101.1 (26th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 104.0 (17th NBA)
Defensive Rating: 98.6 (2nd NBA)	Defensive Rating: 101.5 (7th NBA)
Pace: 90.4 (20th NBA)	Pace: 89.8 (23rd NBA)

Last time

The Celtics and Hawks played a horribly unwatchable game in which the Celtics looked old and dead... until they didn't anymore, made a comeback, and won the game 79-76.

This time

Get it to: Rajon Rondo

Rajon has been running the Celtics offense beautifully.  I'm hoping that his desire to extend his assist streak leads to more of the same.  The Celtics are in the midst of a lot of games in not much time... if Rondo is dying to get another 10 assists, he'll find guys who can score. 

Gotta stop:  Josh Smith

Force him to take jumpers... which shouldn't be too hard.  If you keep his athleticism in check, you take away an advantage that he seems reluctant to use sometimes.

The Wild Card:  Zaza Pachulia  

One of the easiest guys in the league to hate, and if he starts grabbing offensive rebounds, we'll REALLY be pissed at him.  Keep this guy in check or else this won't end well.

How we see it goin' down

I've been wracking my brain for hours now trying to figure this game out... and I just can't.  The Hawks are rested (they last played Saturday), but they're mediocre on the road.  The Celtics just came off a tough road win over a quality opponent, flew into Boston, play tonight, and then it's off to Toronto for the first of three in a row... but they're playing great ball.  

To me, the overriding factors are (a) the Celtics are at home (b) Rondo wants to keep his assist roll going and (c) The Celtics are just better now. I can't pick against the team the way they're playing at the moment.  Plus, home court might hinge on this game.  The Celtics are the 4th seed, but Atlanta has a better record.  A win tonight moves them into a tie.  If this truly is the 4/5 matchup... the team with the better record will get the home court advantage.

So I'm going to guess the Celtics will settle for a lot of jumpers, but Avery Bradley will be even more instrumental in this win.  I see the Celtics playing a slow, deliberate, ugly game.  You'll see zone defenses, you'll see walking the ball up the floor, and you won't see much scoring.   I'll go with the C's 85-80 with the caveat that I really  have no clue on this one... or at least much less of a clue than usual.

How we see it goin' down: Celtics - Timberwolves

Tip: 8:00 PM     Court: Target Center   Watch it: CSN  Hear it: WEEI

                           Referees:  Jason Phillips, Brent Barnaky, David Jones

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The Matchup

Record: 28-22 (T-1st Atlantic, 7th East)	Record: 25-27 (3rd Northwest, 7th West)
On the road: 10-14	At home: 13-12
Streak: Won 3	Streak: Won 1
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (19.0 ppg)	Buckets: Kevin Love (26.6 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.1 rpg)	Boards: Love (13.9 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (10.8 apg)	Dimes: Luke Ridnour (4.6 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 100.5 (26th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 105.2 (12th NBA)
Defensive Rating:  99.4 (3rd NBA)	Defensive Rating: 105.0 (17th NBA)
Pace: 90.4 (20th NBA)	Pace: 93.3 (4th NBA)

Last time

This is the only meeting between these two teams this season.  The Celtics swept both games in last year's series.  Paul Pierce averaged 23.0 points to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.  Kevin Garnett added a double/double against his former team with 13.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game

This time

Get it to:  Kevin Garnett

(a) He's been playing out of his mind lately, and has been our best all around player.

(b) He's back in Minnesota and that will get him amped.

(c) He's going to either be checked by a rookie, or an undersized Kevin Love.  KG will be able to shoot over the top of either of them. 

Gotta stop limit:  Kevin Love

He's only averaging 31.3 points and 14.1 rebounds in March, so no big deal.

I seriously put the over/under on Love rebounds in this game at 22.  The Celtics, as we all know, are a terrible rebounding team.  The one thing that will work in our favor is that both Bass and Garnett play away from the rim, so that'll keep Love further out on the defensive end.  But I'm mostly worried about how the Celtics keep Love off the offensive glass.  If they can limit him there to just a few.. they will be OK. 

The Wild Card:  Rajon Rondo

He has been an assist machine.  But in this game, he needs to attack the rim.  The Minnesota Timberwolves are the third worst shot blocking team in the NBA, and the two guys who might block any shots in this game will be worried about KG and Bass.  And on top of it all, Luke Ridnour will be starting against him.  

Rondo has been exceedingly pass-first lately, which has been great.  This situation, though, is a 20 point-15 assist game served up on a silver platter.  He HAS to be aggressive and attack.

How we see it goin' down

The Timberwolves are a depleted team.  They don't have Ricky Rubio or Nikola Pekovic.  Kevin Love is playing out of his mind just to keep Minnesota in games. 

But Love will have to come to earth sometime.  His huge scoring nights have come when he has 4-7 from 3 type shooting nights.  But Bass can defend against that.  He might not be able to keep Love off the boards as well as we'd like, but he'll check Love in other ways.

Meanwhile, the Celtics have the ingredients to exploit the Wolves' weaknesses.  This might go down as a statement game as the Celtics take control of this one early and win it wire-to-wire... 92-82

How we see it goin' down: Celtics - Jazz

Tip: 7:30 PM     Court: TD Garden   Watch it: CSN  Hear it: WEEI

                           Referees:  Eddie F. Rush, Bennie Adams, James Williams

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The Matchup

Record: 27-22 (2nd Atlantic, 7th East)	Record: 27-23 (3rd Northwest, 7th West)
At Home:  17-8	On the Road: 8-17
Streak: Won 2	Streak: Won 1
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (18.9 ppg)	Buckets: Al Jefferson (19.4 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.1 rpg)	Boards: Jefferson (9.3 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (10.7 apg)	Dimes: Devin Harris (4.9 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 100.5 (25th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 106.2 (7th NBA)
Defensive Rating:  99.6 (3rd NBA)	Defensive Rating: 105.9 (21st NBA)
Pace: 90.4 (20th NBA)	Pace: 91.6 (15th NBA)

Last time

This is the only meeting between these two teams this season.  Last year, the Celtics won both games against Utah.  Paul Pierce led the Celtics with an average of 20.5 points, KG added 18.5 pts/8.5 reb and Rondo averaged 11.5 pts/11 assists.

This time

Get it to:  Paul Pierce

The Jazz are thin at the 3.  I'm not sure who the Jazz will have guarding Paul, but it shouldn't matter.  Neither CJ Miles nor Gordon Hayward are going to stop Pierce.  They're both too skinny to handle Pierce.  He'll use his body to give them both fits.  Pierce could have another 30 point night.  

Gotta stop:  Al Jefferson

I could have gone with Paul Millsap here too.  The Jazz front line is their strength.  They have to be kept off the boards.  

The Wild Card:  Derrick Favors

If this guy comes in and has a monster rebounding night, then we can forget about this game.  He's a big dude (6'10", 250)... it'll be up to Stiemsma and Hollins to keep this guy off the glass.  I know that sounds scary, but some good old fashioned boxing out will do the trick just fine.  It's not rocket science.

How we see it goin' down

The Jazz are terrible on the road.  This is their third game in four nights on a trip that started with a QUADRUPLE overtime game.  Their next game against New Jersey looked like a blowout, but it wasn't until mid-way through the 4th, so the starters still had a lot of work to do.  

The Celtics had a day off and they're at home.  I expect them to come out strong again and put the Jazz in a big hole early.  Of course, there are the requisite 2nd and 4th quarter lulls.  But I don't think the Jazz get closer than 5 points down the stretch and the C's end up pulling away 98-90.

How we see it goin' down: Celtics - Bobcats

Tip: 7:00 PM     Court: Time Warner Cable arena   Watch it: CSN  Hear it: WEEI

                           Referees:  Monty McCutchen, Kevin Scott, Sean Wright

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The Matchup

Record: 26-22 (2nd Atlantic, 7th East)	Record: 7-39 (5th Southeast, 15th East)
On the road: 9-14	At Home: 4-17
Streak: Won 1	Streak: Lost 3
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (18.6 ppg)	Buckets: Corey Magette (15.4 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.2 rpg)	Boards: Bismack Biyombo (5.6 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (10.7 apg)	Dimes: D.J. Augestin (6.3 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 100.3 (27th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 95.6 (30th NBA)
Defensive Rating:  99.5 (3rd NBA)	Defensive Rating: 110.0 (29th  NBA)
Pace: 90.3 (21st NBA)	Pace: 91.3 (18th NBA)

Last time

Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 7 rebounds and Paul Pierce surpassed Larry Bird to become the 2nd all time leading scorer in team history... all in a 10 point win at home.

This time

Get it to:  Kevin Garnett

KG is playing so well right now, and he's hitting guys out of the post for some easy baskets.  I'm very happy to continue running the offense through KG in the post, especially because he's one of the best out there at finding Avery Bradley on cuts.  There's no reason he can't continue with his big assist nights. 

Gotta stop:  Corey Maggette

The main thing about Maggette is his ability to draw fouls.  The Celtics just need to guard him well enough so he doesn't get to the line.  The C's don't have enough bodies to make up for the loss of Paul Pierce to foul trouble.   

The Wild Card:  Avery Bradley

Can he do it again as he gets another start?  There will be no Ray Allen or Mickael Pietrus again... and the Bobcats are as bad a team as it gets, which means they'll lose him on D.  But they have better shot blockers.  Let's see if he can get those shots off against a bigger front line.

How we see it goin' down

All things considered, I think the C's are going into this game with some decent rest.  The last time these two teams faced off Paul Pierce was admittedly nervous about passing Larry Bird.  There's no such milestone to keep Pierce preoccupied.  

Charlotte is terrible and they're giving up a lot of points lately.  I see this playing out a lot like the Wizards game.  Hot start, let off the gas, finish them off late.  A share of the division lead is at stake.

Celtics win 105-89

How we see it goin' down: Celtics - Hawks

Tip: 7:30 PM     Court: Philiips Arena   Watch it: CSN  Hear it: WEEI

                           Referees:  Bill Spooner, Kane Fitzgerald and Derek Richardson

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The Matchup

Record: 23-21 (2nd Atlantic, 7th East)	Record: 26-19 (3rd Southeast, 6th East)
On the road: 7-13	At Home: 13-6
Streak: Lost 2	Streak: Won 2
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (18.4 ppg)	Buckets: Joe Johnson (18.6 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.2 rpg)	Boards: Josh Smith (9.5 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (10.3 apg)	Dimes: Jeff Teague (4.4 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 100.7 (26th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 102.5 (23rd NBA)
Defensive Rating:  100.2 (3rd NBA)	Defensive Rating: 100.6 (6th NBA)
Pace: 90.1 (21st NBA)	Pace: 90.1 (20th NBA)

Last time

The Celtics won the series last season 2-1.  Paul Pierce led the Celtics with an average of 17.7 points to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the three games.

This time

Get it to:  Paul Pierce

Pierce is having his best month of the season so far. His shooting is up 5% over last month and he's averaging 6 more points per game.  He's averaging 20.4 ppg post-all star game and 22.3 ppg in March. I know he's going to have his ups and downs, but he and KG are our best scoring options... and Pierce won't have Josh Smith to worry about. 

Gotta stop:  Josh Smith

Speaking of Josh, have you seen what he's been doing lately.  In February, he averaged 17.1 ppg.  In March?  25.2 ppg.  He's averaging 9.5 rebounds per game... but against the Celtics, he could get 19.  

The Wild Card:  The Celtics Bench

If there's ever a time for this bench to figure itself out, this is it.  And I'm not asking for these guys to magically start producing huge performances.  I know they're not going to do that.  I WOULD like to see the second unit come in and not turn the ball over 3 or 4 straight times.  

How we see it goin' down

This is the third time zone in four days.  The guys are wiped out and they're short handed.  We'll have to wait and see if Mickael Pietrus can play, which could leave the Celtics even MORE short handed. 

The Hawks are coming off a game last night, so they may have a some fatigue issues, but nothing nearly as bad as the Celtics.  Josh Smith is playing pissed off lately, and Joe Johnson has been no slouch either.  I'm afraid this one might not go so well.  

Atlanta 88 - Boston 80

How we see it goin' down: Celtics - Warriors

Tip: 10:30 PM     Court: Oracle Arena   Watch it: CSN  Hear it: WEEI

                           Referees:  James Capers, Tony Brown, Haywoode Workman

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The Matchup

Record: 22-19 (2nd Atlantic, 7th East)	Record: 18-21 (4th Pacific, 13th West)
On the road: 6-11	At Home: 10-10
Streak: Won 1	Streak: Won 3
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (18.4 ppg)	Buckets: David Lee (19.0 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.2 rpg)	Boards: David Lee (9.8 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (10.0 apg)	Dimes: Stephen Curry (5.3 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 100.6 (25th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 105.9 (7th NBA)
Defensive Rating:  99.2 (3rd NBA)	Defensive Rating: 107.0 (26th NBA)
Pace: 89.8 (24th NBA)	Pace: 92.3 (8th NBA)

Last time

Celtics swept the season series last year 2-0.  Paul Pierce led the C’s with 25.0 points per game while Ray Allen connected on 53.8% of his three-point attempts en route to an average of 22.5 points per game.

This time

Get it to:  Rajon Rondo

Monta Ellis is in Milwaukee and Stephen Curry is probably sitting out for a while to let that right ankle of his heal.  That means Nate Robinson will probably draw the assignment of guarding Rondo in this one.  And with Udoh's departure leaving the Warriors even more short handed, Rondo should do whatever he can to carve up the defense and get the shorthanded Warriors out of position and into foul trouble.  

Gotta stop:  David Lee

He's a tremendous rebounder that can make the Celtics pay even after they've forced a miss.  Lee is a legitimate threat to have a 20 rebound night and make tonight hell for Boston.

The Wild Card:  Ray Allen's ankle

The Warriors are in disarray right now.  After hearing about the Ellis trade, one of them yelled "so we're giving up on the season now?"  That's not the sign of a team that's going to want to come out hard, fight through screens, and chase Ray Allen all over the court.  If Ray's ankle is good to go, then he'll find himself WIDE open as Golden State's already not-so-great defense gets worse.

How we see it goin' down

The Warriors are a mess.  One primary scorer is apartment shopping in Wisconsin, the other is trying to duct tape his ankle together, and the rest of the guys are generally pissed off at how this whole thing went down.  

The Celtics have had a day to rest and prepare.  This has a lot of the ingredients for Golden State that led to the post-trade demolition the Celtics suffered last season.  I thought this was going to be a win with the Warriors at full strength... now I think the starters will sit the fourth quarter. 

Celtics 101 - Warriors 83

How we see it goin' down: Celtics - Trailblazers

Tip: 7:30 PM     Court: TD Garden   Watch it: CSN  Hear it: WEEI

                           Referees:  Eddie F. Rush, Josh Tiven, Gary Zielinski

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The Matchup

Record: 20-18 (2nd Atlantic, 7th East)	Record: 19-20 (5th Northwest, 11th West)
At Home: 15-8	On the Road: 5-13
Streak: Lost 1	Streak: Lost 1
Leaders	Leaders
Buckets: Pierce (18.3 ppg)	Buckets: LaMarcus Aldridge (21.6 ppg)
Boards: Garnett (8.2 rpg)	Boards: Marcus Camby (9.2 rpg)
Dimes: Rondo (10.1 apg)	Dimes: Raymond Felton (6.3 apg)
For the Stat Geeks:	For the Stat Geeks:
Offensive Rating: 99.9 (25th NBA)	Offensive Rating: 105.6 (7th NBA)
Defensive Rating:  99.1 (4th NBA)	Defensive Rating: 101.6 (11th NBA)
Pace: 89.8 (23rd NBA)	Pace: 91.9 (14th NBA)

Last time

The Celtics swept the season series last year, marking the fifth time in six years the C's have done so.  Boston has won 11 of the last 12 games in this series.

This time

Get it to:  Paul Pierce

In 25 career games against Gerald Wallace, Pierce is averaging 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.  I like Gerald Wallace as a player, but he's slipping a little this year.  Meanwhile, aside from the dud in Philly, Pierce is really picking it up lately.

Gotta stop:  Jamal Crawford

I don't know what it is about the Green and White that make Jamal Crawford's eyes light up, but man does he love playing against the Celtics.  Just look at some of the performances he's had against Boston.  The C's cannot afford J-Crossover going off... especially considering his tenure in Portland this year has been so disappointing that he's on the trading block.

The Wild Card:  Celtics Bench

No Pietrus or Wilcox would hurt.  That puts a TON of pressure on guys who have not responded well to it.  Can Keyon Dooling FINALLY get it together?  Will E'Twaun Moore see time and provide an unexpected spark?

How we see it goin' down

This will not be pretty.  

Portland has traveled across country and, even though they have a day off, they're still going to be off in their first east coast game.  They've been playing very poorly lately, and the Celtics defense will not help them break out of that. 

The Celtics, meanwhile, will be short handed and will have no choice but to rely on guys like Dooling, Moore and Stiemsma if Pietrus and Wilcox are out.  

So if both teams are playing poorly in an ugly game, I'll give the advantage to the home team.  I think Boston's starters will be "on" after the Philly fiasco and knowing that they don't want to get on a plane and fly to LA with the sour tase of defeat in their mouths.  That flight's going to suck no matter what... might as well have some fun on it after a win.  The bench will do its part to make this a close game, but the C's will pull away late.

C's will take this one, 91-82