Boston Celtics Gameday preview: 3 key matchups vs. Atlanta Hawks
The Boston Celtics (8-2) cap off their three-game road trip Monday night against Dennis Schroder and the Atlanta Hawks (2-8) at the Philips Arena.
The Boston Celtics hope to end their brief three-game road trip on a very high note. The team will enter Monday night’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks riding an eight-game winning streak.
Al Horford, who has been playing on an All-Star level, returns to the place where he played the majority of his career. A season removed from his playing days in Atlanta, Horford has settled down nicely with his new team and has found a nice chemistry with Kyrie Irving.
More importantly, the leadership and defensive intensity Horford has displayed is a big reason why the Boston Celtics have won 8 of their first 10 games.
"“We’re playing the right way,” said Horford, via Fox Sports. “I mean, it’s good that our record’s like this, but the thing that makes me happy is that we’re playing the right way. If you do that, we put ourselves in position to win.”"
Al Horford and the Boston Celtics will have to continue playing the right way to hold off the Hawks. Here are three matchups to watch Monday night.
Kyrie Irving vs. Dennis Schroder
Kyrie Irving is coming off a 12-point performance against the Orlando Magic. Although he has been doing other things to help his team win, the four-time All-Star will be looking to get his offense going in this one.
In facing off against the pesky Dennis Schroder, Irving will have to work hard for his points. He will also have to continue his surprising play on defense as Schroder enters this game as the Hawks leading scorer.
As proven on Sunday night, the Celtics can win a ball game without the scoring of Irving. Atlanta, on the other hand, need Shroder’s offensive production to have a shot. If he does get going against Irving, Marcus Smart or Terry Rozier will take over the defensive assignment.
Jaylen Brown vs. Kent Bazemore
Kent Bazmore has had his moments against the Celtics. Coming in, he is scoring 13.4 points per game, but is struggling a bit from beyond the arc. He should have a tough time going up against Jaylen Brown whose defensive pressure should give him fits.
On offense, Brown will also challenge Bazemore with his three-point shooting and ability to drive to the hoop. If Brown says discipline on the defensive end by not committing early fouls, this may be a matchup that favors the Celtics.
Jaylen Brown is coming off an 18-point performance against the Magic. Bazemore neared a triple-double against the Cavaliers with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.
Al Horford vs. John Collins
The Celtics big man should be up for this one. Not only is he returning to Atlanta, he gets to go up against Hawks rookie John Collins.
Selected 19th overall in the 2017 NBA draft, the Wake Forest product is having a solid first year with the Hawks. This season he is average 10.8 points and 9.0 rebounds. That includes double digit rebounding performances in the last two games against the Cavaliers and Rockets.
Overall, he shouldn’t be a huge factor, but given the way Horford has been playing this season, it’s a matchup worth watching just to see how the veteran holds his own against the kid.
How to watch Hawks vs. Celtics online
When: Monday, November 6, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Live Stream: Watch NBC Sports, fuboTV
Game Notes
The Boston Celtics lost 2 out of 3 games to the Atlanta Hawks last season. Atlanta scored over 110 points in both victories. Defense will certainly be a key in this one, especially playing down in Atlanta.
Despite the Hawks struggles this season, head coach Mike Budenholzer seems to always have his team ready to play against the Celtics.
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Projected starting lineup
G – Kyrie Irving
G – Jaylen Brown
F- Jayson Tatum
F –Al Horford
C – Aron Baynes
Who’s Hot
Al Horford continued his hot shooting from beyond the arc against Orlando Sunday night. His 14 points and 10 rebounds was enough to help his team roll to their eighth consecutive victory of the season.
Jaylen Brown also continued to hit open shots. He led the team with 18 points, but left some points out there with some missed layups. Both players should have plenty of scoring opportunities against the Hawks.
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Prediction
The Atlanta Hawks always have a knack of playing the Celtics tough. This game should be no exception in the first half. Coming off an upset victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday night, the Hawks will be flying high. They will also have extra motivated to end the Celtics 8-game winning streak. Normally, with the back-to-back, the Celtics would be primed for a loss here.
However, this team appears locked in and focused on getting better. Combine that with their youth, Boston will run away with this one in the second half.
Boston Celtics 108, Atlanta Hawks 95.