Final: Celtics 121, Warriors 118 (OT) - Celtics find a way desipte late turnovers

Game 46: Celtics (-6.5) vs Golden State Warriors, 7:30 p.m., TD Garden, TNT

Injuries: 

Boston: OUT- Danilo Gallinari. QUESTIONABLE- Jaylen Brown (groin)

Golden State: OUT-  JaMychal Green (leg), Andre Iguodala (hip), Jonathan Kuminga (foot), James Wiseman (ankle)

Warriors projected starting lineup: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney

Refs: David Guthrie (#16), Brent Barnaky (#36), Aaron Smith (#51)

Last time they played: Warriors 123, Celtics 107, December 10 - This was a struggle from the start for Boston, who could never get many of their weapons going. They gave up too many second-chance points early, then Klay Thompson got cooking, and THEN Steph Curry got going. The Celtics stayed within striking distance, though, going into the half only down five and even cutting a big lead down to eight late in the middle of the fourth. But Jayson Tatum could never get it going, and neither could anyone shooting from deep.

A little something about this game: The Warriors are 5-17 on the road, though they have won two of three heading into this game. Yes, they were against the Spurs and Wizards, but wins are wins and any bit of confidence they can get on the road helps. Their visit to the White House this week can also help that confidence because it gets them back in that “we’re the champs” mindset. Add to that the national TV spotlight and the reminder that last time they were in this building, they were celebrating a title, we can see a little bit of a resurgent Warriors team.

How the Celtics win: Keeping Looney off the offensive boards will be a big help. Over their seven game winning streak, the Celtics have held opponents to a 21.4% offensive rebounding percentage. That's a 5.5% improvement from the 26.9% heading into the last Warriors game. 

Offensively, they need to really work the ball. Golden State’s mistakes come with miscommunications on the defensive end, so the worst thing Boston can do is isolate. The more the ball moves, the more the Warriors will have to communicate and they're just not that good at it this season. They will get frustrated by mixups and that has a chance of impacting their offense. 

Defensively, we’re going to see a much different look than the deep drop that let Thompson and Curry step into shots early in the last game. Keep those principles tight and just don’t overreact to contesting 3-pointers. If you’re late, you’re late. Just deal with the results. Don’t get too overzealous and compound things with a foul. 

How the Warriors win: How they always win, with impeccable ball movement that leads to open looks either from 3 or drives to the basket. At their best, they are a true juggernaut of an offense. Defensively, their switching can be like catnip for the Celtics, and if they can bait Boston into attacking certain matchups, they can eliminate the effectiveness of the rest of the role players. 

Things I’m looking for:

Seriously, move the ball: The ball movement will lead to scoring opportunities and free throws, but if Boston wants to take the bait against switches again and try to drive 1-on-1 then we’ll just see the same live ball turnovers again and get frustrated by the Warriors getting out into transition. This is the time to apply the lessons of these last few games, especially the game they just played where Tatum gave the ball up a lot and ended up getting it back for good looks. 

Jaylen Brown’s return: How’s that groin going to hold up after the week off. I’m always a little leery of soft tissue injuries, and especially so with Jaylen Brown. 

Curry’s shooting touch: His shot falling early would be a bad sign. The Warriors coming out shooting hot would not be encouraging at all. It’ll be hard to sniff a win if the Warriors are shooting well. 

If you want something to pass the time before the game, here’s the latest Locked On Celtics podcast, discussing Brown’s return, Payton Pritchard rumors, and some mailbag questions. 

Follow along below or in the comments during the game, chime in, and let’s have fun.