Sacramento (24-48, 7-29 away) @ Boston (46-25, 22*12 home)
Time: Friday, March 26, 2010, 7:30 PM EDT
Venue: TD Garden
TV: CSN-NE, CS-Sac Radio: WEEI
The Line: The Celtics have not lost to the Kings since the end of the 06-07 season.
The Countdowninator: 11 Glorious Games Leftt!!!
Tonight is 'Ladies Night' in the Chat Room (not really) | Game Thread
When these two teams last met it was under very different circumstances. The Kings, while still not in the playoff picture, were playing pretty decent basketball.They had a cadre of younger players that were working hard and producing.
The Celtics had dropped some pretty scary games to inferior teams, and the fanbase was still trying to come around to the realization that the Boston Celtics of 2010 were not the Boston Celtics of 2008.
Fast forward and now there are two even more different stories. Since that game against the Kings, the Celtics have gone 13-7, while Sacramento has gone 6-12. Sacramento's biggest concern is keeping Tyreke Evans happy and healthy, although they even mess that us, and Boston is already getting their swagger back, clearly emphasizing that they recognize the need to start asserting their own home dominance.
Sacramento is usually a pretty intriguing team, but I don't think tonight should be much of a game. Don't tell the Celtics I said that, but I think it ought to be a good ol fashioned blowout.
Probable Starting Lineups:
Boston Celtics
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Injuries and Stuff: Marcus Landry, D-League
Sacramento Kings
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Injuries and Stuff: Tyreke Evans (OUT), Jon Brockman (OUT)
Matchup of the Night: Carl Landry V Kevin Garnett
Last game for KG was apparently "throwback night" in the Garden, because the 'Big Ticket' put together 20+points and 10+ rebounds for the first time since Grover Cleveland was elected president...the first time. Landry is a player but he shouldn't be able to hold back KG.
Three Keys To The Game For The Good Guys:
1) Remember, never trust a wounded animal.- I know that Tyreke Evans (the talent) and Jon Brockman (the soul) are both out for a Kings team that shouldn't really stand a chance against the C's anyways, However, remember the Nets. REMEMBER THE NETS!
2) Watch Out For Those Pesky Internationals! -Omri Casspi, Fransico Garcia, Beano Udrih. 32 points on average between the 3 of them, but if Sacramento wants to make this a real big boy game, these three guys are going to need to carry a big portion of the load. Casspi and Udrih in particular have shown themselves to be susceptible to allowing early game mistakes frustrate them mentally, so get on them early and often to keep the Kings at arms length.
3) Rest The Starters! - Sure, tonight might not be the biggest game all season, but for just one second, lets look beyond that. Next game: San Antonio. After that: Oklahoma City, Houston, Cleveland, and the MonStars (okay, one of those I made up). If our boys' old tired knees want some rest, the fourth quarter of a blowout would be ideal.