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| Kevin Garnett won't have to worry about Dirk Nowitzki trying to block his shot tonight. |
After another three-day layoff, the Boston Celtics (11-9) will get back to work tonight against the Dallas Mavericks (11-10).
Dallas features a roster that has players whose contracts expire either after this season or the following season, so guys are essentially playing for their next contract. They are coming off a demolition of the Sacramento Kings on Monday, defeating them 119-96. The Mavs will receive some much-needed help on the defensive end as their starting small forward Shawn Marion returns to the lineup tonight after missing the past two games with a strained groin.
Dallas features a roster that has players whose contracts expire either after this season or the following season, so guys are essentially playing for their next contract. They are coming off a demolition of the Sacramento Kings on Monday, defeating them 119-96. The Mavs will receive some much-needed help on the defensive end as their starting small forward Shawn Marion returns to the lineup tonight after missing the past two games with a strained groin.
On the other hand, the Celtics are well-rested and should be ready to go. This is a matchup of very similar teams. Both teams have near-identical records, and they both feature older rosters. The starting five of the Mavericks has an average age of 30.4-years-old, while the Celtics starting five has an average age of 31.8-years-old. However, Dallas is averaging 100.1 points per contest, which is 10th best in the league. The Mavs like to push the pace, so it's up to Boston to slow things down and make this a grind-it-out kind of game.
Here's a preview:
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Mavericks:
Derek Fisher
O.J. Mayo
Shawn Marion
Brandan Wright
Chris Kaman
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. Can I have some Mayo with that?: At practice on Tuesday, coach Doc Rivers handed out some high praise to Mavericks' guard O.J. Mayo. "He's playing off the charts, shooting above 50 from the 3. What's impressive with him -- they're running a lot of [isolations] and he's guarded taking 3s. That's scary when you see a guy who's guarded taking 3s and he's making over 50 percent of them." To be exact, Mayo is shooting 53.0% from beyond the arc, the best in the entire league. Furthermore, he's 18-of-31 from the three-point line (58.1%) in his last four games. Over their last five games, the Celtics are holding their opponents to a 25.3% three-point field-goal percentage. If the Celtics are to have any chance of winning, they need to contain the best three-point shooter in the game.
2. Let the truth be told: Paul Pierce will have his hands full tonight with Shawn Marion defending him. Marion is widely regarded as an above-average defender at his position. Even at the age of 34, Marion can still get it done. On the flip side, Paul Pierce has shown his age at times this season. However, the seasoned 35-year-old is 10th in the league in scoring and has shown that he too is not finished. This will be an interesting matchup between two accomplished veteran forwards. Pierce is going to have to bring A-game tonight to help the Celtics pull this one out.
2. Let the truth be told: Paul Pierce will have his hands full tonight with Shawn Marion defending him. Marion is widely regarded as an above-average defender at his position. Even at the age of 34, Marion can still get it done. On the flip side, Paul Pierce has shown his age at times this season. However, the seasoned 35-year-old is 10th in the league in scoring and has shown that he too is not finished. This will be an interesting matchup between two accomplished veteran forwards. Pierce is going to have to bring A-game tonight to help the Celtics pull this one out.
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