Houston Rockets At Boston Celtics: Game 49: Sneak Peek Analysis
The Houston Rockets got kicked down Tuesday night but will pull themselves up by the bootstraps.
The Houston Rockets got kicked down Tuesday night but will pull themselves up by the bootstraps.
There’s no doubt they’ll be ready to take on the 26-18 Boston Celtics.
What’s up next?
So who’s leading the charge for the Celtics?
Isaiah Thomas leads the team in scoring (28.9 PPG) and is the top assist man (6.2 APG). Avery Bradley is the top board-getter (6.9 BPG). Marcus Smart holds the torch in steals (1.5 SPG). Al Horford is the team’s top shot-blocker (1.7 BPG).
Let’s talk about what the Celtics do well.
They’re quite good offensively. The Celtics are ranked 7th in offensive efficiency (averaging 108.7 points per 100 possessions).
They’re definitely good at keeping the ball moving. The Celtics are 2nd in the league in assist ratio, with 18.8 percent of their possessions ending with an assist.
They don’t make too many mistakes with the basketball. The Celtics are 5th in turnover ratio, with 11.6 percent of their possessions ending in a turnover.
They’re a group of good shooters as well. The Celtics are 9th in effective field goal percentage (52.1) and tied for 7th — with the Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz — in true shooting percentage (56.2).
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Injuries:
Ryan Anderson is back in the fold after a extended bout with the flu. He chipped in 16 points, including going 3-for-7 from behind-the-arc in the Rockets 127-114 loss to the Miwaukee Bucks Monday night.
He looks like his old self again so it’s definitely apparent the Rockets have fully healthy roster for the first time in nearly a month or so.
That’s good for this team as they continue to gain a foothold in the Western Conference standings.
As for the Celtics, Avery Bradley has injured his Achilles and will be OUT for the rest of the week. Marcus Smart will be at the ready to get the start at the “2” moving forward until he’s healthy again.
Demetrius Jackson and Gerald Green have been suffering from respective illnesses and did not play in last night’s game against the Washington Wizards. I’d likely deem them as QUESTIONABLE for tonight.
Source(s): Houston Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com, Scott Souza of the Providence Journal
Matchups to Watch:
- Patrick Beverley vs. Isaiah Thomas
- Clint Capela/Nene Hilario vs. Al Horford
- Trevor Ariza vs. Jae Crowder
- James Harden vs. Marcus Smart
Prediction:
124-115 in a Houston Rockets’ win!
The Rockets hit the road to take on the Celtics at TD Garden.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CST.
The game will be televised on ROOT Sports Southwest and broadcast on SportsTalk 790 AM (KBME), Sirius/XM/SiriusXM Internet 890 and La Ranchera 101.7 FM (KNTE) & 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.
Go Rockets!