Celtics back (to back) on the road to take on Wizards

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Boston Celtics (21-19) at Wizards (19-19)
Regular Season Game #41, Road Game #20
Saturday, January 16, 2016
7:30 PM ET
TV: CSN-NE, Comcast Sportsnet, NBA-LP 754(DTV)/752(Xfinity)
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, WNEW 99.1 FM
Verizon Center
Referees: Tony Brothers, Tyler Ford, Josh Tiven

After two games at home, the Celtics begin another 3 game road trip with a visit to the Washington Wizards. This is the 3rd of 4 games between these two teams this season. The Celtics won the first two game in Boston 115-98 and 111-78. They will play one more time on 1/25 in DC.

The Celtics are 10-9 on the road while the Wizards are just 9-11 on their home court. The Celtics snapped a 4 game losing streak with a win over the Pacers on Wednesday and then won their second straight with a win over the Suns at home on Friday. The Wizards have won 4 in a row in spite of struggling with injuries.

Both teams are playing in the second of back to back games. Washington won at home vs the Pacers while the Celtics won at home vs the Suns. The Celtics are 6-3 this season in the second of back to back games and are 1-2 when they are Home/Road. The Wizards are 3-5 in the second of back to back games.

The Celtics have dropped three straight on the road while the Wizards have lost three of four at the Verizon Center. This game is important as far as Eastern Conference standings are concerned. With a win, the Celtics can assure themselves of winning the tie breaker between these two teams should that factor in at the end. Also, The Celtics have moved back into the 8th spot just 1/2 game behind the Pistons in 7th and just 1/2 game ahead of the Magic in 9th. They are also just 1 game ahead of the Wizards, who are in the 10th spot.

The Wizards are dealing with several injuries to key players.Alan Anderson is out with an ankle injury. Marcin Gortat (knee), Kris Humphries (knee), and Otto Porter (hip) are all day to day. Bradley Beal missed 16 games with a stress reaction in his leg and returned in Friday's game vs the Pacers. His 22 points in 22 minutes off the bench showed no rust. He may return to the starting lineup or may come off the bench again. The Celtics report no one out with an injury.


Probable Starters

PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Jared Sullinger

Celtics Reserves
Evan Turner
RJ Hunter
Jonas Jerebko
David Lee
Terry Rozier
James Young
Kelly Olynyk
Jordan Mickey
Tyler Zeller
Marcus Smart

Head Coach
Brad Stevens

Injuries
None


Probable Starters

PG: John Wall
SG: Garrett Temple
SF: Kelly Oubre
PF: Jared Dudley
C: Nene

Wizards Reserves
DeJuan Blair
Drew Gooden
Ramon Sessions
Garrett Temple
Jarell Eddie
Gary Neal

Head Coach
Randy Wittman

Injuries
Alan Anderson (ankle) out
Marcin Gortat (knee) game time decision
Kris Humphries (knee) game time decision
Otto Porter (hip) game time decision



Key Matchups
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Isaiah Thomas vs John Wall Wall is averaging 19.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 9.6 assists. The Celtics need Isaiah's offense, but he is going to struggle to keep Wall from having a big game. Expect to see Bradley or Smart on Wall if he starts to have a big game.

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Avery Bradley vs Bradley Beal Bradley Beal has missed 16 games with a stress reaction in his leg. He returned on Friday night to score 2 points off the bench in 22 minutes. Beal is averaging 19.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 3.2 assists. Beal may come off the bench again or he may return to the starting lineup but the matchup will be Bradley vs Beal, even if Garrett Temple starts.

Honorable Mention
Amir Johnson vs Jared Dudley Kris Humphries has been out with a knee injury. It's possible that he may return for this game and would start at power forward. Dudley led the Wizards with 19 points in their last meeting with the Celtics. Amir has been playing great in recent games and so this should be an interesting matchup for both sides.

Keys to the Game
Play Strong for 48 Minutes - In some games the Celtics start strong but then struggle to make shots and turn the ball over allowing the other team to get a lead. In other games they struggle out of the gate and then spend the rest of the game trying to catch up. They need to give a consistent effort for the entire game.

Defense - The Celtics need to continue to make defense a priority. Defense wins games. They especially need to contain the Wizards' talented back court. They beat the Pacers with their tough defense down the stretch and the defense led to offense. They need to keep that up.

Be Aggressive - The Celtics need to be the more aggressive team from start to finish. They need to be aggressive in going to the hoop, in crashing the boards, in fighting for loose balls and in running the court. They also have to be more aggressive on defense. They have to be the team that wants it more.

Play as a Team - The Celtics need to play team ball. They have to move the ball and find the open man with the best shot. When they lapse into hero ball where each player tries to make the home run play, they usually struggle. They play the best when they are moving the ball and racking up assists and playing team defense.

X-Factors
Back to Back - The Celtics have made it a point of pride to play their best on the second night of back to back games. Hopefully they continue that in this game. The Wizards are also playing in the second of back to back games and haven't been quite as successful in those situations. The Wizards have also been playing short handed and that could also figure into it as could the fact that they are playing at home while the Celtics had to travel between games.

Officiating - Officiating will be an X-Factor for every game. Every crew has their own way of calling the games and they have their own agendas. Will they call it fairly or in favor of one team or the other? Will they let them play or call every little contact? The way the game is called always has an effect on the way it is played.