The matchup for tonight's game between the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics is between Tony Parker and Rajon Rondo.
In the first game between the two games, Parker got the better of Rondo individually. Parker shot 75% in the paint area (9-12) and 67% from mid range compared to Rondo's 55% from the paint (5-9) and 50% from mid range (3-6).
With both men using their speed as a main weapon against the his opponent, it'll be important for Parker to try to get as much space from Rondo as possible because of his long arms and his preference to gamble on steals.
Expect Parker to be using plenty of pick-and-rolls from Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter, and DeJuan Blair during the game and forcing the Celtics to play one of the two players in that set honest on defense.
On defense, Parker has to force Rondo to shoot from mid range. While Rondo has improved his shot, he's not seen as a player who has a reliable jumper to fall back on when the paint is being crowded.
It'll also be important for Parker to not fall for the pass fakes Rondo is known for in the paint and staying with him on drives and hoping (if he does pass) that his teammate will be there to be in front of his own man.
