Game Thread - Celtics at Fenerbahce Ulker

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Boston Celtics at Fenerbahce Ulker
Friday, October 5, 2012
2:00 PM ET
9:00 PM Istanbul Time
TV:  NBA-TV, CSNNE 
Pregame on CSNNE  1:30 PM ET
Ulker Sports Arena
Istanbul, Turkey
 
After 6 days of practice and very competitive scrimmaging between green and white teams, the Celtics finally get to play against some new blood.  Fenerbahce is a tough team and should be a good first test for this new look Celtic team. 

Doc said he plans to play the starters about half the game; he wants his players just to compete and get accustomed to playing opponents again.    They are still struggling a bit from jet lag and time difference and travel but they are more than ready to finally compete in an actual game.  Preseason games are strange animals.  Teams don't play to win as much as to evaluate players, set rotations, and prepare themselves for the real games when the season starts.   I expect to see the starting lineup that we will see on opening night: Rajon Rondo, Courtney Lee, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, and Kevin Garnett.  But Doc will sub in liberally and he will try to evaluate players 8-18 more than play his set rotation in these games. 


Celtics Roster
Rajon Rondo
Courtney Lee
Paul Pierce
Brandon Brass
Kevin Garnett
Jason Terry
Jeff Green
Darko Milicic
Jared Sullinger
Fab Melo
Jason Collins
Dionte Christmas
Kris Joseph
Jamar Smith
Rub Kurz

Head Coach 
Doc Rivers

Injuries
Avery Bradley (shoulder) out
Chris Wilcox (back) day to day
Micah Downs (shoulder) day to day



Fenerbahce Ulker Roster
Can Maxim Mutaf 
Bo McCalebb   
Erbil Eroglu 
Omer Onan
Baris Ermis 
Romain Sato 
David Andersen 
Kaya Peker 
Oguz Savas   
Mike Batiste 
Ilkan Karaman
Bojan Bogdanovic 
Emir  Preldzic

Head Coach
Simone Pianigiani