Sixers (35-35) at Celtics (55-14) 3/24

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Philadelphia 76ers (35-35) at Boston Celtics (55-14)
Monday, March 24
7:30 PM ET
Game #70, Home Game #34
TV: NBA-TV, CSNHD, CSN
Sirius 123
TD Banknorth Garden


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Probable Starters

PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Kendrick Perkins

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

Injuries
Rajon Rondo, back, probable
Tony Allen, back, probable



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Probable Starters

PG: Andre Miller
SG: Willie Green
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Reggie Evans
C: Samuel Dalembert

Off the Bench
Thaddeus Young, Louis Williams, Calvin Booth, Jason Smith, Rodney Carney, Kevin Ollie, Louis Admunson, Shavlik Randolph

Injuries
Herbert Hill, knee, out

Key Matchups
vs
Iguodala is their best player and it will be up to Pierce to contain him. Making him work on the defensive end could help to get him into foul trouble.

vs
Perk needs to keep Dalembert off the boards as well as limiting his effectiveness in the paint.

Honorable Mention
KG vs Reggie Evans
KG has a height advantage and should look to exploit that.

Keys to the Game
Take Care of the Ball The Celtics literally gave the game away against the Hornets by turning the ball over 20 times. The Celtics have to take care of the ball, avoid careless passes and focus on taking better care of the basketball.

Defense The Celtics have built their record on their tough defense. The let down against the Hornets in the second half, allowing them to shoot 51% from the field and letting them get back in the game and win it. When they Celtics commit to defense they are very hard to beat.

Play 48 Minutes The Celtics dominated the Hornets in the first half of their game, but let up in the second half. The Celtics need to get off to a quick start and play aggressively for 48 minutes.

Rebound The Sixers have out rebounded their opponents in 8 of their last 10 games. The Celtics have to crash the boards and limit the Sixers second chance points.

The Celtics are 29-5 at home and the Sixers are 15-20 on the road. Both teams are 8-2 in their last 10 games. The Celtics are coming off a tough loss to the Hornets while the Sixers are coming off a big win against the Nets. The Celtics are 12-1 against Atlantic division opponents while the Sixers aer 5-9 in their division. The Celtics are looking for their first sweep of the Sixers since the 1995-96 season.