After an exhausting triple-overtime victory on Monday, it appears the Utah Jazz are the energetic ones in this one. They lead the Celtics after a so-so first half 46-44.
* Right out of the gate, the Celtics looked crisp defensively, rotating nicely and making life difficult for the Jazz. However, the Jazz quickly managed to get the shots they wanted off the pick-and-roll.
* Things started to go right in the second quarter the moment Leandro Barbosa stepped on the floor. In the first 2:35 he was on the court, Barbosa compiled 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. He led the Celtics on a 24-14 that gave them the lead while the starters were on the bench.
* Although the stats are not glaring, the Celtics are getting killed on the boards and in the paint. They're only getting outrebounded by 7 (24 to 17), but the Jazz are making the extra effort. They have 8 offensive boards to Boston's 3. The C's need to do a better job of weak-side rebounding, especially on Jazz big men Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson. The Jazz already have 26 points in the paint. Interior defense and weak-side rebounding must be corrected in the second half if the Celtics want to win this game.
* O.K., not to sound like a pessimist, but who is this guy wearing the white number 8 jersey and what did he do with Jeff Green? Green is actually making his presence felt in this one. He's been looking for the ball on the post and not settling for outside jumpers, something we haven't seen from him since the preseason. He has 7 points and 2 rebounds in just over 10 minutes.
* The Jazz are doing a poor job of defending the alley-oop. The Celtics have run it three times -- twice with Wilcox and once with Kevin Garnett -- and have been successful all three times. Shouldn't they have realized what's going on by now?
Check back after the game for a full recap.
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