The C's continue their West Coast swing in Golden State, where an 8-21 Warriors team awaits. As the team learned on Sunday, however, records don't mean much when the two teams hit the hardwood.
When And Where
Monday, Dec. 27, 10:30 p.m. EST (CSNE)
Oracle Arena, Oakland, Calif.
Records
Celtics (23-6, first place in Atlantic Division, first place in Eastern Conference)
Warriors (8-21, fifth place in Pacific Division, 14th in Western Conference)
Head to Head
These two teams met in mid-November, and the Warriors gave the Celtics all they had. The C's eventually walked away with a 109-95 victory, but it was hard-earned. The Warriors turned the ball over 21 times, and the Celtics shot 50 percent from downtown in the second half.
The Celtics own the all-time series with a 195-127 record against the Warriors, dating back to their Philadelphia days.
Skinny
The keyword for the Celtics in this one will be "bounceback." Sunday's loss was stunning, no doubt, but the team needs to move on if it wants to return home at the end of the week with a successful trip. The league's best road team (now 13-2) has a chance to show it can be knocked down but not held down, even without its captain.
Starting Lineups
Celtics
Point guard: Rajon Rondo
Shooting guard: Ray Allen
Small forward: Tony Allen
Power forward: Kevin Garnett
Center: Kendrick Perkins
Warriors
Point guard: Monta Ellis
Shooting guard: Stephen Curry
Power forward: Corey Magette
Small forward: Anthony Morrow
Center: Andris Biedris
Stat Sheet
Celtics
The Celtics are 13-2 on the road and 8-2 against Western Conference opponents.
Kendrick Perkins is first in the NBA with a 64.5 field goal percentage. Orlando's Dwight Howard is second at 62.1 percent, while Memphis' Marc Gasol (60.9) is the only other player above 60 percent.
Perkins also ranks sixth in the NBA with 59 blocks, and he has 14 in his last five games. He's recorded at least one block in the past eight games, averaging 2.5 per contest.
With a 2-for-5 night at the line on Sunday, Rajon Rondo now has a free throw percentage of 52.7. His lowest mark coming into this season was 61.1 percent, set in 2007-08.
Ray Allen logged 39 minutes on Sunday but attempted just three 3-pointers.
Rasheed Wallace went 4-for-16 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point range in the loss to the Clippers.
Tony Allen, who's getting more playing time with Paul Pierce injured, posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Warriors
Monta Ellis leads the team in scoring with 25.2 per game. He and Stephen Curry are the only Warriors that have played all 29 games this season.
Curry is hitting 3-pointers at a 40.4 percent clip in his rookie season.
Anthony Morrow ranks ninth in the NBA with a 3-point percentage of 44.4.
The Warriors give up 112.3 points per game — the most in the league — but score 107.2 per game, which is the second-best mark.
Black and Blue
Celtics
Paul Pierce is out for the near future after having his knee drained last week.
Warriors
Andris Biedrins hasn't played since Nov. 8 with strained groin and abdominal muscles, but he is expected to return on Monday.
Raja Bell had surgery on his wrist on Dec. 3 and he is expected to return in March.
Mikki Moore had surgery on his right heel and will miss the rest of the season.
This Date in Celtics History
Last year, the Celtics respond to a two-game losing streak by completely demolishing the Sacramento Kings 108-63. The Kings shot 28 percent from the field as they averaged just 15.75 points per quarter.
Overheard
"The free throws didn't bother me, honestly. I would love for Rondo to make the free throws, but I thought, for a veteran team, we played with absolutely zero composure."
—Doc Rivers, on his team's lack of discipline in Sunday night's loss.
Press Box
Celtics
Kevin Garnett spent some of Sunday night coaching his center.
The Celtics are ranked No. 2 in ESPN's power rankings.
Rajon Rondo and Doc Rivers aren't deterred by the missed free throws.
Warriors
Should the Warriors trade their top pick?
Ronny Turiaf is a valuable member of the Warriors.
Facing Rajon Rondo is a challenge for Stephen Curry.
NBA
Ron Artest is recovering from his Christmas Day fall.
The scuttlebutt around the league is that Vinny Del Negro is done in Chicago, though the Bulls aren't saying so.
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were named the NBA's players of the week.
Outlook
There's no reason to believe the Celtics will struggle against the Warriors, but then again, the same could have been said on Sunday.
What the C's have on Monday is a chance to prove to themselves that they won't play sloppy basketball two nights in a row. The Warriors, coming off a 132-127 victory over Phoenix, have a chance to pull off the upset.
