Boston Celtics, minus Garnett, take on Sixers
Boston Celtics, minus Garnett, take on Sixers
With two games left on their regular season slate, the Celtics will rest big man Kevin Garnett and start Glen 'Big Baby' Davis in his place tonight at the Sixers and tomorrow vs. the Wizards at home. Philadelphia also will be testing their depth tonight with Reggie Evans getting the nod at power forward. In what could be a first round playoff matchup, TNT will carry the game as part of their Tuesday night twinbill.
Look what the Easter Bunny left us: a bonus NBA on TNT doubleheader.
It’s never a dull moment when the folks at TNT get together to talk about basketball. The dynamic at the host table among Ernie Johnson Jr, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley makes for compelling television, while the play-by-play and color commentary pay more attention to the game on the floor and less about pushing their own personalities than some other shows I could name here. Your mute button won’t need as much of a workout this Tuesday.
You are going to have to do a little extra research to beat the betting odds, though. The end-of-year situations for all four of these teams are different, even though all four are going to the playoffs. Like we talked about yesterday, these matchups require more focus on coaching strategy and less on analyzing raw numbers. We’ll throw a little of both your way as we break down the final TNT doubleheader of the regular season.
Boston at Philadelphia
Tuesday, Apr 14, 8:00 p.m. (ET)
At any other point in the season, you’d expect the Celtics (60-20 SU, 41-39 ATS) to drop the hammer on the 76ers (40-40 SU, 36-42-2 ATS). This hasn’t been quite the breakthrough season Philly supporters were hoping for when the team signed Elton Brand to a hefty five-year, $82-million contract. Brand (14.63 PER in 2008-09) is out for the season with shoulder issues, and Boston has beaten the Sixers three times this year at 2-1 ATS.
That was when things were relatively normal. The Celtics have decided to sit Kevin Garnett (21.33 PER) for the last two games, which means Glen “Big Baby” Davis (10.38 PER) will continue to start in his place. Those PER numbers don’t do justice to Garnett’s importance as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year; Davis is three inches shorter at 6-foot-8 and is not nearly as well conditioned, so Boston fans will be very happy if Leon Powe (16.81 PER) is able to play Tuesday and take some minutes at power forward.
The Sixers are also starting the No. 3 power forward on their depth chart: Reggie Evans (10.49 PER), like Davis a bull in a china shop when it comes to rebounding, but without Big Baby’s mid-range game. Rookie Marreese Speights (18.16 PER) has shown flashes of brilliance in the post this year and has seen his playing time pick up in April, to the point where both Speights and guard Lou Williams (16.26 PER) are getting starters’ minutes off the bench.
There was no early line on this game because of the roster situations, so make sure to shop around for the most favorable prices.
Utah at L.A. Lakers
Tuesday, Apr 14, 10:30 p.m. (ET)
This matchup could be even more chaotic. Again, no betting lines were up overnight as the Jazz (48-33 SU, 39-42 ATS) had yet to officially decide whether or not to play a pair of important starters. Point guard Deron Williams (21.09 PER) suffered a strained left oblique in the final minute Saturday against the Warriors, and was less than himself on Monday night versus the Clippers: 17 points on 3-of-11 shooting and nine assists. Williams says he will play against the Lakers; the news isn’t as certain on center Mehmet Okur (17.61 PER), who missed the second half of the Clippers game with a strained right hamstring. Swingman C.J. Miles (dislocated index finger) is also day-to-day.
The Lakers don’t have any pressing injury concerns now that Andrew Bynum (19.97 PER) is back at center and working his way into playoff shape. Coach Phil Jackson has already made it known in the press that he intends to honor the ticket holders at Staples Center and use his starters as he would for a normal game. That’s not what the Jazz were looking for; L.A. is 2-1 SU and ATS versus Utah this season and was able to take last year’s second-round series in six games (at 3-2-1 ATS) without Bynum on the floor.
Again, watch for news of Okur’s status and act accordingly. Utah wants a win here, and Okur’s ability to hit the three-pointer (44.0 percent) can draw Bynum out of the paint and open things up for the Jazz offense. In theory.
With two games left on their regular season slate, the Celtics will rest big man Kevin Garnett and start Glen 'Big Baby' Davis in his place tonight at the Sixers and tomorrow vs. the Wizards at home. Philadelphia also will be testing their depth tonight with Reggie Evans getting the nod at power forward. In what could be a first round playoff matchup, TNT will carry the game as part of their Tuesday night twinbill.
Look what the Easter Bunny left us: a bonus NBA on TNT doubleheader.
It’s never a dull moment when the folks at TNT get together to talk about basketball. The dynamic at the host table among Ernie Johnson Jr, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley makes for compelling television, while the play-by-play and color commentary pay more attention to the game on the floor and less about pushing their own personalities than some other shows I could name here. Your mute button won’t need as much of a workout this Tuesday.
You are going to have to do a little extra research to beat the betting odds, though. The end-of-year situations for all four of these teams are different, even though all four are going to the playoffs. Like we talked about yesterday, these matchups require more focus on coaching strategy and less on analyzing raw numbers. We’ll throw a little of both your way as we break down the final TNT doubleheader of the regular season.
Boston at Philadelphia
Tuesday, Apr 14, 8:00 p.m. (ET)
At any other point in the season, you’d expect the Celtics (60-20 SU, 41-39 ATS) to drop the hammer on the 76ers (40-40 SU, 36-42-2 ATS). This hasn’t been quite the breakthrough season Philly supporters were hoping for when the team signed Elton Brand to a hefty five-year, $82-million contract. Brand (14.63 PER in 2008-09) is out for the season with shoulder issues, and Boston has beaten the Sixers three times this year at 2-1 ATS.
That was when things were relatively normal. The Celtics have decided to sit Kevin Garnett (21.33 PER) for the last two games, which means Glen “Big Baby” Davis (10.38 PER) will continue to start in his place. Those PER numbers don’t do justice to Garnett’s importance as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year; Davis is three inches shorter at 6-foot-8 and is not nearly as well conditioned, so Boston fans will be very happy if Leon Powe (16.81 PER) is able to play Tuesday and take some minutes at power forward.
The Sixers are also starting the No. 3 power forward on their depth chart: Reggie Evans (10.49 PER), like Davis a bull in a china shop when it comes to rebounding, but without Big Baby’s mid-range game. Rookie Marreese Speights (18.16 PER) has shown flashes of brilliance in the post this year and has seen his playing time pick up in April, to the point where both Speights and guard Lou Williams (16.26 PER) are getting starters’ minutes off the bench.
There was no early line on this game because of the roster situations, so make sure to shop around for the most favorable prices.
Utah at L.A. Lakers
Tuesday, Apr 14, 10:30 p.m. (ET)
This matchup could be even more chaotic. Again, no betting lines were up overnight as the Jazz (48-33 SU, 39-42 ATS) had yet to officially decide whether or not to play a pair of important starters. Point guard Deron Williams (21.09 PER) suffered a strained left oblique in the final minute Saturday against the Warriors, and was less than himself on Monday night versus the Clippers: 17 points on 3-of-11 shooting and nine assists. Williams says he will play against the Lakers; the news isn’t as certain on center Mehmet Okur (17.61 PER), who missed the second half of the Clippers game with a strained right hamstring. Swingman C.J. Miles (dislocated index finger) is also day-to-day.
The Lakers don’t have any pressing injury concerns now that Andrew Bynum (19.97 PER) is back at center and working his way into playoff shape. Coach Phil Jackson has already made it known in the press that he intends to honor the ticket holders at Staples Center and use his starters as he would for a normal game. That’s not what the Jazz were looking for; L.A. is 2-1 SU and ATS versus Utah this season and was able to take last year’s second-round series in six games (at 3-2-1 ATS) without Bynum on the floor.
Again, watch for news of Okur’s status and act accordingly. Utah wants a win here, and Okur’s ability to hit the three-pointer (44.0 percent) can draw Bynum out of the paint and open things up for the Jazz offense. In theory.
