Wednesday, February 03, 8:00PM EST
TV: ESPN, CSN HD, SunSpM, RTV Radio: WEEI
Venue: TD Garden
The Line: Home Game #22 (13-8), 1st of 3 Game Home Stand, 2-0 vs Miami in 09/10
Okay, so everyone breath. Go watch Jumper (the song, not the movie), and get off the bridge. Paul Pierce is Day-To-Day. Kevin Garnett had 19pts and 6 rebounds. The Celtics came from behind at the half to win one. It was against the Bullets, but it was a freakin win.
Tonight we see just exactly what that means. Hollinger doesn’t believe in us. Marc Stein doesn’t believe in us. Heck even some of us no longer believe in us. But today is still another day we sit proud atop the Atlantic Division, and another day for us to start our run against the middling Heat.
The Celtics have beaten the heat in each of the last 4 contests reaching back to last season, and correct me if I’m wrong, but by beating the Heat tonight the Celtics can officially sweep their first team of the season. Yeah. That’s what I’m talking about.
Probable Starters
Boston Celtics
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Injuries and Stuff: Marquis Daniels (OUT), JR Giddens (OUT), Paul Pierce (DTD)
Miami Heat
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Injuries and Stuff: Jermaine O'Neal (probable), Mario Chalmers (questionable)
Matchup of the Night: Kevin Garnett V Micheal Beasley
KG is starting to get his form back. Allegedly he's a 7ft ninja assasin with a touch of gold and heart that 'don't pump no kool-aid'. Beasely is some entitled but talented mobile forward that is prone to sulking the irratic play If KG can keep up with "the Beeez" and still have enough gas to post him up on the offensive end, we might see KG's first 20-10 night of the season.
Keys to the Game for the Good Guys
1) To Paul, or Not to Paul?- Paul Pierce is Day-to-Day. That means exactly squat, because the Celtics are renowned liars about injuries, but assuming we believe them, it means Paul might play tonight. Under no circumstances should he play. None. Not. A. One. This is a key to the game because if he doesn't play, that means Tony Allen needs to party like its 2007 and get us 15+ points.
2) Dwayne Wade, he's one bad motha- I respect Udonis Haslem's midrange J. I respect Rafer Alston's timely 3's. I respect JO's hard road back to playing time. None of those things however, do I respect enough to think they alone can beat our squad. Dwayne Wade can do that, single handedly. We need Tony Allen, Ray Allen, the big guys down low, the crowd, everyone to work together to make sure this isn't one of those nights that reminds people Dwayne Wade was once on par with Lebron James as a player.