BOSTON -- Even as NBA teams try and build rosters with the versatility to play small more often, at the end of the day size really does matter.
It certainly has for the Los Angeles Clippers, whose frontcourt tandem of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan have been vital to their strong play of late.
The Celtics will have their hands full trying to contain Los Angeles’ 1-2 punch tonight at the TD Garden.
Jonas Jerebko will be among the undersized bigs for Boston who will try and limit one of the league’s top scorers (Griffin) and one of its elite rim protectors (Jordan). Jerebko, who primarily played small and power forward during his five-plus seasons in Detroit, has added some playing time at center to his resume since being traded to Boston on Feb. 19.
The 6-foot-9 Jerebko says his approach to such matchups is the same.
“Trying to play harder than them; trying to be quicker, faster,” said Jerebko. “Just trying to run the floor and make them work, too.”
Celtics coach Brad Stevens is quick to acknowledge that limiting Griffin and Jordan will be challenging for his team. But that challenge, he adds, isn’t something that’s unique to his club.
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“They’re really good players,” Stevens said. “They pose problems to anybody. Whether we’re 6-8 on those guys or 7-foot on those guys, they’re going to have things that they’re going to try and take advantage of because they’re really good players.”
Here are some other keys to keep tabs on for tonight’s game:
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
The Celtics' bench has been a difference-maker in their upset bids this season, and tonight won’t be any different. Boston’s second unit ranks seventh in the league in scoring (37.6 points) over the last five games, and fourth overall (40.0) this season, according to Hoopsstats.com. The Clippers are 26th in bench scoring (10.8) in their last five games and 21st overall (31.3) this season.
KEY MATCHUP: Marcus Smart vs. Chris Paul
The Celtics are in a playoff push right now, which is as bad a time as any for Smart to be struggling with his shot. He comes into tonight’s game having shot just 30.8 percent from the field in Boston’s last five games, averaging 6 points and 1.8 assists in that span. And tonight he faces a perennial All-Star in Chris Paul, who has been a vital cog in the Clippers’ recent surge. In his last five games, Paul is averaging a double-double of 23.8 points and 12 assists while shooting 56.6 percent from the field.
KEY PLAYER: Tyler Zeller
He didn’t play much against New York because Boston had more favorable matchups in the middle without him. But that won’t be the case tonight against Jordan, whose play around the rim ranks among the game’s best.
BY THE NUMBERS: 41.5
That would be the 3-point shooting percentage of the Los Angeles Clippers in their last six games -- all wins -- which ranks fourth in the NBA during that span. The Celtics have been up and down lately in most statistical categories except 3-point defense. In the last six games, Boston has limited opponents to just 27.1 percent on 3s, which ranks second in the league during that period of time.