The Celtics face their 6th Western Conference team in a row as they host the New Orleans Pelicans. This is the first of 2 meetings between these two teams this season. They will meet once again in Boston on January 31. The Celtics have won their last 6 games against the Pelicans. The Celtics are 26-21 overall all time against the Pelicans and they are 15-8 in games played in Boston.
The Pelicans were active in the offseason. Their biggest move was to trade Dyson Daniels, Cody Zeller, EJ Liddell and Larry Nance, Jr to Atlanta for Dejounte Murray. They signed former Celtic Daniel Theis and Antonio Reeves as free agents. They claimed Brandon Boston off waivers and signed him to a 2 way contract. They drafted Yves Missi with the 21st pick.
The Celtics remain 2nd in the East, but have slipped to 6.5 games behind the first place Cleveland Cavaliers, who have won 12 straight games. They are 2.5 games ahead of 3rd place New York and 6 games ahead of 4th place Milwaukee, who have won their last 3 games. They are 13-7 at home and 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are 5-4 vs Western Conference opponents and are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Pelicans are 15th in the West. They are 24 games behind the first place Oklahoma City Thunder. They are 11.5 games behind 10th place Golden State and the last play in spot. they are 2.5 games behind 14th place Utah. They are 3-15 on the road and 3-7 in their last 10 games. They are 5-12 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are coming off a win in their last game.
After a 3-1 Western road trip, the Celtics lost to the Sacramento Kings in their first game at home after the trip. This is the second of 2 home games against Western Conference teams. They then head to Toronto to face the Raptors for the 3rd time this season. They will then host Orlando and Atlanta before their 2nd Western road trip of the month through Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers and Dallas.
The Pelicans are playing in the second game of a 3 game road trip. They started the trip with a win in Philadelphia on Friday. They will play at Chicago after this game. They then head home for a 4 game home stand where they will host Dallas, Utah for 2 games, and Milwaukee. They then head out on the road for games in Memphis, Charlotte and Toronto. After a game at home against Dallas, they will play at Boston to finish out the month.
The Celtics have only Drew Peterson on the injury list due to concussion protocols. For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram will miss his sixteenth game due to a left ankle sprain. Herb Jones has been diagnosed with a posterior labrum tear in his right shoulder and is also out. Dejounte Murray is questionable with right elbow tendonitis and a right shin contusion. Jose Alvaredo will likely start in his place if he can’t play.
Probable Celtics Starters
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Celtics Reserves
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Nehemiah Queta
Sam Hauser
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
Al Horford
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson
Injuries/Out
Drew Peterson (concussion) out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Pelicans Starters
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Pelicans Reserves
Jose Alvarado
Javonte Green
Karlo Matkovic
Trey Murphy III
Antonio Reeves
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Daniel Theis
2 Way Players
Brandon Boston
Keion Brooks, Jr
Jamal Cain
Injuries/Out
Brandon Ingram (ankle) out
Herb Jones (shoulder) out
Dejounte Murray (elbow/shin) questionable
Head Coach
Willie Green
Key Matchups
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Jayson Tatum vs Zion Williamson
Williamson is averaging 22.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.1 blocks per game. He is shooting 47.1% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. Williamson has played in just 7 games this season due to a variety of injuries. He was suspended for their last game in Philadelphia due to being late for a team flight. He should be healthy and rested for this game.
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Derrick White vs CJ McCollum
McCollum is averaging 22.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He is shooting 45.8% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to cover McCollum on the perimeter because he is very capable of hitting threes.
Honorable Mention
Jrue Holiday vs Dejounte Murray
Murray is averaging 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He is shooting 38.9% from the field and 26.1% from beyond the arc. He is listed as questionable for this game with elbow and shin injuries. If he can’t play, Jose Alvarez will likely start in his place.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense will always be the key to winning. The Pelicans average 107.4 points per game (27th) while the Celtics average 117.9 points per game (5th). The Celtics are 7th in the league with a defensive rating of 109.5. The Pelicans are 28th with a defensive rating of 117.7. The Celtics let up on defense against the Kings and it cost them the game. They have to play tough lock down defense for all 48 minutes if they want to win this, or any other, game.
Rebound – The Celtics have to crash the boards as a team. Rebounding takes effort and when they put that extra effort out to dominate the boards, it often translates to all other areas of the game as well. The Pelicans are averaging 42.7 rebounds (24th) and the Celtics are averaging 44.9 rebounds per game (11th). The Pelicans are 7th in the league with 15.1 second chance points and so the Celtics are going to have to work hard to keep them off the boards to keep them from scoring second chance baskets.
Stay Focused – The Celtics have to stay focused on playing the right way. They have to focus on their ball handling and on their passes and not give the Pelicans free possessions by turning the ball over as the Pelicans average 18 points off turnovers per game. They have to stay focused on taking good shots and on making them. If the outside shots stop falling, they need to get to the basket. They have to focus on playing team ball and on playing defense.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have got to be aggressive in going to the basket, playing defense, diving for loose balls and just play harder. Their effort and aggressiveness can make them very tough to beat and their lack of it can make them vulnerable as we saw against the Kings. They are once again facing a team that plays hard and are aggressive and they can’t afford to come out with less than 100% effort or to let up before the final buzzer.
X-Factors
Home Game – The Celtics are at home for the second straight game. The Pelicans are playing in their second straight road game. The Pelicans have struggled on the road this season with an 3-15 record away from home. Hopefully the Celtics will come out ready to play and get some motivation from the home crowd. They were embarrassed at home in their last game and need to turn that around and get a win in this game. Protect home court.
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently. Some are tyrants with the whistle and some let the teams play. Some refs are very touchy and call quick fouls and techs. The Celtics have to adjust their game to however the refs are calling it. They can’t let missed calls and no calls get to them and make them lose their focus.
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