Celtics (55-13) at Hornets (46-21) 3/22

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Boston Celtics (55-13) at New Orleans Hornets (46-21)
Saturday,March 22
8:00 PM ET
Game # 69. Road Game #35
TV: NBA LP ch 759, CST, CSN HD
Radio: WEEI, Sirius 126
New Orleans Arena





Probable Starters

PG: Rajon Rondo PPG 10.5 RPG 4.1 APG 5.0 FG% .475


SG: Ray Allen PPG 18.3 RPG 3.9 APG 3.0 FG% .448


SF: Paul Pierce PPG 20.0 RPG 5.4 APG 4.7 FG% .453


PF: Kevin Garnett PPG 18.8 RPG 9.5 APG 3.4 FG% .532


C: Kendrick Perkins PPG 7.4 RPG 6.2 APG 1.0 FG% .617

Off the Bench
James Posey, Eddie House, Leon Powe, Big Baby Davis, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Brian Scalabrine

Injuries
Tony Allen, back, day to day





Probable Starters

PG: Chris Paul PPG 21.6 RPG 3.9 APG 11.3 FG% .497


SG: Morris Peterson PPG 8.2 RPG 2.8 APG 1.0 FG% .413


SF: Peja Stojakovic PPG 16.0 RPG 4.3 APG 1.3 FG% .443


PF David West PPG 19.8 RPG 9.2 APG 2.3 FG% .469


C: Tyson Chandler PPG 11.6 RPG 12.3 APG 1.1 FG% .595

Off the Bench
Bonzi Wells, Jannero Pargo, Melvin Ely, Mike James, Ryan Bowen, Hilton Armstrong, Chris Anderson, Rasual Butler

Injuries
None

Key Matchups
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Chris Paul
For the 5th game on this road trip, Rondo will be facing tough competition. If healthy, Rondo should be able to stay with Paul, but his sore back may be a factor.

vs
Kevin Garnett vs David West
KG has a height advantage on West and should be able to get the step on him. He will need to slow down the Hornets' second leading scorer.

Keys to the Game
Defense: The Celtics must defend both inside and on the perimeter. Chandler and West are very tough in the paint and Paul and Chandler have combined for more than twice as many alley oops as anyone else in the league. They also have several players who are dangerous beyond the arc.

Be Aggressive The Celtics have to be the aggressive on both ends of the court. They have to come out strong and not let up. The Celtics have to be aggressive on the boards and not allow the Hornets to get second chance points. They also have to be aggressive taking the ball to the hoop and hustling for loose balls.

Move the Ball The Celtics have to continue to move without the ball and to make the extra pass to find the open man. When they dribble too much and stop the ball movement, they aren't nearly as effective.

X-Factor
Fatigue vs Adrenaline
The Celtics will be tired as they are playing the final game of a 5 game road trip and have expended a lot of effort in the other 4 games. Fatigue could be a factor. However, adrenaline may take over and give them a boost as they are playing the top team in the West and a win here would be big.