Celtics (16-4) vs Bucks (9-10)
Game time: 7:30pm, TD Garden. TV - CSN. Radio - WEEI-AM (850).
Team Leaders
Scoring
Bos: Pierce - 18.6 Bucks: Brandon Jennings - 21.3
Rebounding
Bos: Perkins - 7.7 Bucks: Andrew Bogut - 9.1
Assists
Bos: Rondo - 9.0 Bucks: Jennings - 5.8
Who'll go off: Ray Allen. I don't see any way Carlos Delfino can stick with him. With the bigger and better defending Luc Richard Mbah a Moute likely to drape himself on Paul Pierce, I think the Celtics will look to find Ray early and often. Another reason he's likely to breakout offensively? We criticized his shooting this morning.
Who needs to be stopped: Brandon Jennings. With Michael Redd (ankle) questionable, he's the only legitimate scoring threat in a Bucks uniform. Once again, the first line of defense is Rajon Rondo. Can he stay in front of Jennings?
The C's will lose if... they don't rebound the ball. How many times have I typed that phrase here? The Bucks are 5th in the league in rebounding. Expect Bogut, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyasova and Hakim Warrick to attack the glass. Those guys are all high-energy players.
Wildcard: The "Will Rondo be too amped up because he's playing against Jennings" factor. We've seen this before against other elite point guards. Let's hope Rondo plays his game.
Prediction: Celtics 106 - Bucks 88
After the jump, a tribute to Mrs. Tiger Woods. I know this story has nothing to do with basketball, but I'm concerned this poor woman might never heal from the emotional scars. It's the least we can do...