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Boston Celtics (34-8) at Miami Heat (9-33)
Tuesday, January 29
7:30 PM ET
TV: NBA TV HD, SCORE, CSN
Sirius 123
American Airlines Arena
Probable Starting Lineup
PG
Rajon Rondo PPG 9.3 | APG 4.7 | SPG 1.8
SG
Ray Allen PPG 18 | APG 3 | 3P% .372
SF
Paul Pierce PPG 20.4 | RPG 5.7 | APG 5
PF
Leon Powe PPG 3.6 | RPG 2.1 | BPG 0.2
C
Kendrick Perkins PPG 7.5 | RPG 5.6 | BPG 1.3
Off the Bench
Eddie House, Brian Scalabrine, Scot Pollard, Leon Powe, Big Baby Davis, Tony Allen, Gabe Pruitt
Injury Report
Kevin Garnett, abdominal strain, day to day
Scot Pollard, ankle, day to day
Rajon Rondo, mild ankle sprain, probable
Key off the Bench
James Posey PPG 7.2 | RPG 4.3 | APG 1.3
James Posey came back from his injury to play well against the Magic. He had 16 points including 4-6 from beyond the arc. He is going to want to beat his former team and so expect another big night from James.
Probable Starters
PG
Jason Williams PPG 8.9 | APG 5.1 | SPG 1.6
SG
Dwayne Wade PPG 25.3 | APG 6.7 | 3P% .273
SF
Dorell Wright PPG 6.9 | RPG 4.8 | APG 1.2
PF
Udonis Haslem PPG 12.3 | RPG 9.4 | BPG 0.4
C
Mark Blount PPG 6.8 | RPG 2.8 | BPG 0.1
Off the Bench
Ricky Davis, Earl Barron, Daequan Cook, Luke Jackson, Alexander Johnson, Joel Anthony, Smush Parker
Injuries
Alonzo Mourning, Torn Patella, out
Shaquille O'Neal hip inflamation, questionable
Joel Anthony, Quad Strain
Key Off the Bench
Ricky Davis PPG 13.7 | RPG 4.3 | APG 2.9
Ricky has resumed his sixth man role where he thrived in Boston. Ricky has always had big games against the Celtics and so look for him to come out strong and try to put his former team away.
Key Matchups
vs 
Kendrick Perkins vs Mark Blount
Mark Blount is one of the most disliked players in recent Celtics history. Who can forget him skipping across the floor in the first game after the trade, or the celebration after they beat the Celtics in Minnesota? Or better yet, who can forget him sulking in Boston and mailing it in? Blount is now the starting center for Miami and has been playing well for them. Perk needs to play Blount physically and show him what a real center plays like. Also, with Blount in, we don't need to worry about rebounds going to the Center position.
vs 
Ray Allen vs Dwayne Wade
Wade has averaged 30.2 points over his last 5 games and is on a mission to get the Heat back to respectability, even if he has to do it by himself. Ray will have to have help covering him on the defensive end. Ray has been struggling offensively and this would be a good time for him to snap out of it. It is no surprise that the Celtics struggles have mirrored Ray's. They need his production, especially with KG out.
Keys to the Game:
Take the ball inside The Celtics need to take the ball inside. Their shots haven't been falling of late and by going to the hoop, they can get the Heat in foul trouble.
Be Aggressive Against the Magic, when they were playing aggressively, they came back from the 14 point deficit that they got into by not playing aggressively in the first place. They need to be aggressive on defense, going after loose balls, and in rebounding. They can't allow the Heat to out-rebound them or to beat them in hustle points.
Defense The Celtics are capable of playing swarming defense and of late, they have been playing defense in spurts, allowing teams to score way too many easy baskets. They have to get back to playing team defense and get that defensive identity back. The Heat is another good perimeter team and the Celtics have got to defend against the outside shot. They haven't been doing that and it has cost them wins. Wade, Davis, Williams and Cook especially can hit the 3 so the Celtics need to be ready for them to shoot them.
Game Notes
Doc has said that KG may play in this game but probably not. I am going with Leon Powe in the starting lineup (Big Baby would be my second choice). I just can't see starting Scal against Udonis Haslem. That would be a mismatch that Miami will exploit.
The Heat just broke their 15 game losing streak with a win over Indiana. They may be just 9-33, but any team with Dwayne Wade on it must be taken seriously. The Celtics have to come in and play good basketball for 48 minutes. They can't take this team for granted or they will find themselves on the losing end of yet another game.
The night life in South Beach could be our worst enemy. Without a practice on Monday and Sunday night and Monday night in South Beach, the Celtics may take advantage of the night life there. Hopefully they will be more serious about the game than the entertainment. How they deal with the distractions there will tell us a lot as to how serious they are about winning.
X-Factors
1. Will KG Play? It is pretty obvious that this is a much better team with KG in the lineup. Their chances of winning are much better if KG plays than if he doesn't. If he doesn't play, hopefully he will be big enough to sit on the bench this time and cheer on his teammates.
2. Ray Allen's shot. The Celtics need Ray Allen to hit his shots in order to spread the floor and for the Celtics to be successful. When he struggles, then the Celtics struggle. Whether he is tired or injured, he needs to find his shot again.
