Game 30: Where, COME ON! DADDY NEEDS TO STAY A GAME AHEAD OF THE KNICKS!

Boston Celtics (15-14) at Detroit Pistons (10-22)
Sunday, February 19
6:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #30, Road Game #11
TV: CSNNE, FSD, LP 751/752 (DTV)
Radio: WEEI, 97.1 FM The Ticket
Palace of Auburn HillsOfficials: Tom Washington Brent Barnaky Sean Wright

Game Thread | Chat Room

As the esteemed Lord Tariq once said, 'Splat, like deja-vu'.

We've been here before, so I won't bore you. The Celtics need the win tonight. They've dropped 4 of the last 5 and are playing some spectacularly 'not quite good enough basketball' right now. Two of the losses were somewhat justifiable heart-breakers to the Bulls and Lakers, but the other two losses were against cellar-dwellers.

On the bright side, one of those losses to 'cellar dwellers' is redeemable. They dropped a 10 point game at home against Detroit, tonight they can pay them the same service back to their old 'friends'. Beating the Pistons on their home floor doesn't make the previous loss 'okay', but it does bring a certain amount of symettry, and you know what they say, 'you're only one win away from starting your next win-streak' (nobody says that).

Please, please do not let our boys pull even with the Knicks. This whole 'Linsanity' thing is bad enough as it is (another stellar game earlier today, getting harder to ignore), we don't need the whole 'Knicks on the rise pull even with the Celtics for second in the division' storyline as well.

Come on, baby! No whammies!!

Starting lineups, match-ups to watch are provided by the Queen of Previews, FLCeltsFan!

Probable Starters
PGSGSFPFC
Rajon Rondo.... Ray Allen.... Paul Pierce.....Kevin Garnett.... Jermaine O'Neal

Celtics Reserves
Marquis Daniels
Greg Steimsma
JaJuan Johnson
E'Twaun Moore
Keyon Dooling
Mickael Pietrus
Chris Wilcox
Avery Bradley

Injuries
Sasha Pavlovic (wrist) day to day
Brandon Bass (knee) out





Probable Starters
PG SG SF PF C
Brandon Knight...Rodney Stuckey...Tayshaun Prince...Jason Maxiell..Greg Monroe

Pistons Bench
Ben Wallace
Jonas Jerebko
Brandon Knight
Austin Daye
Damien Wilkins
Vernon Macklin
Will Bynum
Ben Gordon
Walker Russell


Injuries
Charlie Villanueva (foot) out

Team Connections
Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Ray Allen all attended the University of Connecticut
Tayshaun Prince, Brandon Knight and Rajon Rondo attended the University of Kentucky
Pistons Head Coach Lawrence Frank was an assistant coach with the Celtics during the 2010‐11 season
Sasha Pavlovic and Ben Wallace were teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2007‐09
Pistons Assistant Coach Roy Rogers played for the Celtics during the 1997‐98 season and was an assistant coach during the 2010‐11 season.
Chris Wilcox played for the Pistons from 2009-11.

Key Matchups
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Brandon Knight
In the last meeting between these two teams, Rondo won this matchup, but the Celtics lost the game. Rondo finished with 35 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Knight had 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. The Celtics need Rondo to be aggressive but he needs to balance his own scoring with setting up his teammates.

vs
Paul Pierce vs Tayshaun Prince
This has been a great matchup over the years, Prince's length can give Pierce problems but Pierce's strength can also give Prince problems. These two played each other fairly even in the last game with Pierce putting up 10 points, 1 rebound and 5 assists while Prince had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Pierce has been in a mini slump lately and the Celtics need more from their Captain.

Honorable Mention
Ray Allen vs Rodney Stuckey
Stuckey scored 25 points in their last meeting while Ray put up just 10. The Celtics' offense has been sluggish and their ball movement has been terrible and that explains why Ray has struggles in the last few games. Ray hit a couple of big shots in the loss to the Bulls and that may get him going but he needs Rondo to find him when he's open.