The Boston Celtics will be hosting the Atlanta Hawks on New Year's Eve, Tuesday. Atlanta currently holds the 3rd seed, while Boston holds the 7th seed. In their last meeting, Boston had the upper hand, winning 94-87 on the road. The Hawks blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead, which allowed Boston to comeback and grab the victory.
In their last game, Boston blew a 21 point lead against the Detroit Pistons, which allowed them to win the game 107-106. After the game Brad Stevens has some words to say, "You know, I was telling (team President) Rich Gotham it should have been promoted as part of our holiday package," Stevens said. "Every game is an adventure."
Atlanta will be coming into this game, having lost 6 of it's last 7 on the road, allowing an average of around 112.7 PPG. Elton Brand is currently filling in for an injured Al Horford, who is out for the season. Jared Sullinger will be faced with the task of guarding Brand. Sullinger is 6' 9" and roughly 260 lbs. Brand is 6' 9" and 254 lbs, so Sullinger will have a slight advantage in the match-up. In the back-court, Jordan Crawford and Avery Bradley will be guarding Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver. Korver's 3-pointer streak could be coming to an end as Bradley has gained the reputation of a lock down defender. Don't be surprised if Korver finishes with less than 10 points. At the Forward spots, Jeff Green and Brandon Bass will go up against Cartier Martin and Paul Millsap. DeMarre Caroll is out for the next couple of games, so expect Cartier Martin to start at SF. Don't be surprised if Green ends up with 30+ Points, for Martin is not known for his defense.
I predict the Celtics will win this one easily, with 45+ points combined from Jeff Green
and Jared Sullinger.
PREDICTED FINAL SCORE:
BOS: 116
ATL: 98
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