Celtics (19-45) at Mavericks (52-39) 3/16

at

Boston Celtics (19-45) vs. Dallas Mavericks (52-39)
Friday, March 16, 2007 • 8:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #65 • Road Game #33
League Pass 756, FSN
American Airlines Center • Dallas, TX




Probable Starters

PG: Rajon Rondo PPG 5.5 | APG 3.4 | SPG 1.43
SG: Delonte West PPG 11.7 | APG 4.6 | RPG 3.0
SF: Paul Pierce PPG 24.5 | RPG 6.3 | APG 4.2
PF: Al Jefferson PPG 15.3 | RPG 11.1 | BPG 1.5
C: Kendrick Perkins PPG 4.2 | RPG 4.6 | BPG 1.4

Off the Bench

Green/Powe/Ray/Scal/Telfair

Coach: Doc Rivers
Average Age: 25.0
Average Height: 6-6
Average Weight: 226

Injuries
Sczcerbiak ankle out
Allen ACL out
Ratliff Back out
Gomes foot out

Key Player:

Rondo sets the pace for the rest of the team and if he is on, the team will be on. He needs to be aggressive on defense and do a good job of finding the open man.





Probable Starter

PG: Devin Harris PPG 9.7 | APG 3.6 | SPG 1.2
SG: Jason Terry PPG 16.4 | APG 5.3 | 3P% .438
SF: Josh Howard PPG 19 | RPG 6.9 | APG 1.8
PF: Dirk Nowitski PPG 25.1 | RPG 9.6 | BPG 0.9
C: Erick Dampier PPG 7.4 | RPG 7.6 | BPG 1.1

Off the Bench

Stackhouse/Buckner/Diop/Croshere

Coach: Avery Johnson
Average Age: 27.0
Average Height: 6-7
Average Weight: 220

Injuries
George knee out
Mbenga ACL out

Key Player

Dirk presents huge matchup problems because he can play with his back to the basket and also shoot from beyond the arc.

Notes:
The Mavs have lost 2 in a row but are one of the top teams in the league and they are going to want to get back on the winning track. To win this game we will have to play a perfect game and the Mavs will have to be a little off their game. They play terrific defense and we don't usually play well when teams defend well. Also they have so many weapons that they can beat you inside and out. This is one that will be hard to win.

Well...I dont think the C's have much of a chance winning this one. We don't match up well against the Mavs, and the Mavs are on an entirely different level then us.

Maybe they'll still be depressed about their loss to the Suns...

This is a terrible game for the C's because I don't even see them taking anything out of it (as far as future growth and development is concerned). Their perimeter defense is awful, so I expect the Mav's to hang a 110+ spot on the C's unless they feel merciful.

Yea never know with the C's though. There's been times this year when theyve played the Spurs tough down to the final buzzer, but then they're been times when they can't compete with teams like Atlanta and Portland.

With Dallas just having lost in double OT, they're gonna come out with a chip on their shoulder.
I'm thinking C's are getting blown out in this one..

No Scal tonight... His wife is having a baby. Scal could have been useful guarding Dirk if for nothing else than he can irritate people.

Without Scal maybe Powe will get to see more minutes then usual.

Wow...

Pierce had 17 pts in the first 7 minutes of this game, and Leon Powe literally shut down Dirk in the first half. The C's are moving the ball great, and Sebastian and Telfair are setting the tempo.

Celtics lead by 10 at the half.

Impressive first half for the Celtics. The Mavs are going to come out strong in the third and we have to be ready for them to make a run.

I don't think anyone expected the Celtics to play the Mavs so tough, and I can't blame any of the players for this loss. In typical Doc fashion he seemed to do everything he could to help get Dirk out of his offensive slump by pulling Leon Powe who was doing a great job of guarding Dirk, and putting Paul Pierce on him. Paul was solid offensively, and Gerald Green had a great game off the bench. Al Jefferson with another double/double, and even Kendrick Perkins had a solid rebounding performance, but Dirk heated up when it counted.

All the time that Paul missed has seemed to really benefit the team. It allowed for guys like Gerald Green and Allen Ray to get minutes and now both of them are contributing. Even though the C's lost this game gets me even more excited for next year.