Preview: Celtics Look to Right the Ship Against Charlotte

The Celtics are coming off a tough loss to the Hornets and hope to get back on track at home

Both teams are coming off tough losses. The Boston Celtics lost a shootout against the Atlanta Hawks a couple of nights ago, almost guaranteeing they won’t get the three seed. On the other hand, the Charlotte Hornets hurt their chances at home-court advantage in the first round by losing to the Washington Wizards yesterday afternoon 113-98. This is now a must win for Charlotte if they want home-court advantage in round one.

Both teams are led by all-star caliber point guards. Isaiah Thomas and Kemba Walker are both score-first guards who carry their team’s scoring load night in and night out. Walker and Thomas are both in the midst of breakout seasons and know that their teams rely heavily on their output. Both players average a tick under 17 shot attempts per game, so a good old-fashioned shootout between the guards is in store.

Both teams come in very healthy. Boston has finally gotten everyone back as the playoffs near. Health has been a huge factor in both of these young team’s success this season. Not many people expected these teams to be near the top of the Eastern Conference come playoff time, however, both have been led by great coaching, point guard play, and a reliable wing player.

For Boston, Jae Crowder has been the key to their success this season. His 1.8 steals per game leads the team and he is a consistent contributor on the offensive side and on the glass. He will be dealing with Nicolas Batum on Monday night.

Batum’s game is very similar to Crowder’s. They both average around 15 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, although Batum is the better passer. Both Batum and Crowder are athletic wings that do a little of everything for their team. Just like the point guard battle, this will be a matchup to keep an eye out for. If either player is able to gain the edge over the other, it will be a huge advantage for their team.

The Celtics’ defense will be on display on Monday night. After giving up a brutal 118 points and 67 points in the first half to the Hawks, they’ll need to get re-focused to have a shot against Charlotte. The Hornets are 11th in the NBA in points per game, averaging 103.2 per game. While Charlotte isn’t the most high-powered offense in the NBA, Boston hasn’t looked as focused as we’re used to seeing over the past three games.

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It’s no secret that this is a huge game for either team. This could end the Hornets’ quest for home-court advantage or make it extremely difficult for Boston to maintain the fourth seed. There are only two games remaining on the schedule, and each one has a lot on the line.