Celtics vs. L.A. Clippers 12/27

The Clips can be amazing or pitiful on any given night...predictions?

Watch out for Elton Brand. It'll be good to see AL try and defend him, but I dont expect AL to have another big night with someone like Elton guarding him. Gerald however with his speed and jumping ability should be a big help crashing the boards and should be able to score at will against a slower Corey Maggete

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Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Clippers
Wednesday, December 27
10:30 PM Eastern Time
Staples Center


Boston Celtics
Starters

Telfair/Allen/Green/Gomes/Jefferson

Key Reserves

Perk/Scalabrine/Rondo

Los Angeles Clippers

Livingston/Mobley/Ross/Brand/Kaman

Key Reserves

Cassell/Maggette/Thomas

Even though the Clippers will be at home they lost to the Jazz and will be travelling also. So neither team will have the benefit of being more rested.

Perk should be returning to play against the Clippers. He was able to shoot around before the Denver game and they are planning on him playing tomorrow. Kandi should also be available to play also. That is very good news.

Reports after the game were that Delonte was having back spasms after the hard fall he took in the second quarter of the Denver game. He may be able to play but at this point, I doubt it. There have been rumblings that Wally may come back some time on the trip but I haven't heard anything definite.

Keys to the Game:
Defense. One of the reasons that Telfair was replaced in the starting lineup was because of his poor defense. We have to be able to get stops as we won't be able to outscore the Clippers without Pierce and Wally. Getting Perk back is going to be a big boost to our interior defense.

Rebounding. We were out rebounded 53-48 against the Nuggets. We usually win when we hit the boards and defend. We lose when we get out rebounded and when we don't play defense.

Teamwork. Each player is trying to do too much. They aren't playing a team game. If they would get back to playing as a team and trying to find the open man and playing team defense instead of concentrating on trying to make up for Pierce's points, we would be a much better team. We need to get back to the passing game and play as a team.

I agree that defense will definitely be the key in this one, and in general until Pierce gets back. If we can't stop teams we'll be hard pressed to try and outscore them. The Clippers can score with the best of 'em when they're hitting, especially if Cassell catches fire.

Doc said in tonites postgame that Perk will be back...I'll be interested to see if he'll play both AL and PERK in the same unit...with Kaman, Maggete and Brand it would definitley seem like a good idea to go Big

Delonte is not going to dress and won't play tonight. It will be a game time decision on Friday. Wally tested his ankle in the shoot around and is going to try to give it a go tonight. Perk is definitely going to play tonight as will Kandi.

Not going too well so far...

Both Ryan Gomes and Al Jefferson are terrible defensively, especially on help.

I used to think the penetration allowed by our perimeter players was the main culprit. It is not. Brian Scalabrine is exponentially a better defender than Ryan Gomes and Kendrick Perkins is even better than that in comparison to Al Jefferson. How is it that the opponents penetration isn't as bad when one of Scalabrine or Perkins is on the floor?

I still have high hopes for Jefferson and I do think Gomes can eventually learn to play at least some defense. Both of those players right now are 'fools gold', though, because no matter how good their offense is on any particular night, they are that bad defensively.