The Boston Celtics will host the Utah Jazz for the first and only time this season. The Celtics will look for their 47th win of the season and their first against the Jazz, who are one of the worst teams in the NBA.
Boston will look to take advantage of the Jazz on Monday night, with or without one of the Jazz's top players, Lauri Markkanen.
Markkanen is listed as questionable for Monday's matchup against the Celtics due to a back issue. While the questionable tag is not ideal on the day of the game, it is an upgrade from his previous status.
Markkanen, who has missed the past eight games for Utah, could face restrictions if he gets the green light to return on Monday. In his extended absence, guys like Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski, and KJ Martin have been soaking up a lot of minutes for the Jazz, with the team focusing on youth development.
Utah's big man last played on Feb. 22 against the Houston Rockets. In that contest, he recorded 23 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes of action.
For the season, Markkanen has been great for the lowly Jazz. In 43 games, he has averaged 19.3 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.8 steals while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three in 32.1 minutes.
The 27-year-old is in his third year with the Jazz. He has been vital for the Jazz during his tenure, although it has not resulted in wins.
The Celtics enter this match as huge home favorites in this match with a -16.5 spread. Boston is coming off a huge win over their bitter rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, and will seek their sixth consecutive win.
The Celtics have gone 22-11 at home. Boston ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference with 11.0 offensive rebounds per game, led by Luke Kornet, who is averaging 2.4.
The Jazz are 7-25 on the road. Utah ranks fourth in the league with 45.9 rebounds per game. Walker Kessler paces the Jazz with 12.4.
The Celtics have been great in their last 10 games, recording an 8-2 record while averaging 115.4 points, 45.1 rebounds, 25.6 assists, 6.6 steals, and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.0 points per game.
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