Nets (32-45) at Celtics (58-19) 4/8

at
New Jersey Nets (32-45) at Boston Celtics (58-19)
Wednesday, April 8
7:30 PM ET
Game #78, Home Game #39
TV: CSN HD, WWOR, NBA LP 754
TD Banknorth Garden


ProbableStarting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Devin Harris

Shooting Guard
vs
Ray Allen vs Keyon Dooling

Small Forward
vs
Paul Pierce vs Vince Carter

Power Forward
vs
Glen Davis vs Ryan Anderson

Center
vs
Kendrick Perkins vs Brook Lopez




Reserves
Eddie House
Gabe Pruitt
Bill Walker
Mikki Moore
Stephon Marbury
Tony Allen

Injuries:
Kevin Garnett (knee) out
Brian Scalabrine (neck/head) out
Leon Powe (knee) out
Rajon Rondo (ankle) probable


Reserves
Josh Boone
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Jarvis Hayes
Maurice Ager
Sean Williams
Bobby Simmons
Ryan Anderson
Trenton Hassell
Yi Jianlian

Injuries
Eduardo Najera (ab strain) out

Key Matchups
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Devin Harris
Rondo has held his own vs Harris in their three meetings so far this season. Rondo tweaked his ankle in practice on Monday so may not be 100% in this game. We may see more Marbury vs Harris if Rondo needs to rest his ankles.

vs
Paul Pierce vs Vince Carter
When the Celtics last faced the Nets, Carter was playing shooting guard but has since moved to the small forward position. Paul Pierce enjoys these tough matchups and I expect a big game from him on both ends of the court.

Honorable Mention
Kendrick Perkins vs Brook Lopez
Perk will have his hands full with Brook Lopez who has been playing very well this season. Lopez has the size advantage and Perk has an experience and strength advantage.

Team Connections
Brian Scalabrine played for the Nets from 01-05
Josh Boone and Ray Allen are former UConn Huskies
Stromile Swift and Big Baby both went to LSU
Ryan Anderson and Leon Powe are both former Cal Bears
Eddie House played for the Nets in the 06-07 season
Nets assistant coaches Doug Overton (99-01) and Roy Rogers (97-98) both played for the Celtics
Eddie House and Keyon Dooling were teammates on the Clippers

Game Notes
The Celtics lead the series 3-0 going into this 4th and final games between these divisional rivals. The Nets have been eliminated from playoff contention but would love to play the spoiler for the Celtics who are just 1/2 game ahead of Orlando for the 2nd spot in the East.

The Celtics are 32-6 at home while the Nets are 15-23 on the road. The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have won 4 in a row. The Nets are 4-6 in their last 10 games and are coming off a 96-67 win over the 76ers.

Keys to the Game
Move the Ball The Celtics play best when they move the ball and make that extra pass to find the open man. When the ball stops moving, the offense is out of sync and they struggle to score. On the other hand, when the ball is moving, they are very hard to stop.

Defense The Celtics' success has come from their intensity on the defensive end. They lose some of that defensive intensity without KG, but even without him, they need to focus on what won them the title, and that is playing lock down defense.

Limit Turnovers Turnovers have been the Celtics Achilles heel this season and they have to work on limiting their turnovers as they work up to playoff shape.

X-Factor
Rest vs Rust
The Celtics have been off since Friday night and while they will be well rested, they may very well be rusty as well. Hopefully they will be able to get back into the flow of the game and shake off any rust quickly.

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