BOSTON -- Welcome to the Garden where the Celtics are preparing to take on the Utah Jazz.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. and the locker room will open up at 6 p.m. for pregame access.

The Celtics and Jazz split the season series last year (1-1) with Rajon Rondo leading the Celtics with 20 points per game and Paul Millsap leading the Jazz with 20 points per game.

The Celtics are 6-4 against the Jazz since the 2004-05 season and the Celtics lead the all-time series 44-35 and they are 28-11 at home against the Jazz.

The Celtics hope to contain the Jazz pick-and-roll offense tonight.

"That's the bread and butter for what they try to do," Boston captain Paul Pierce said.
"They play hard," Celtics All-Star Ray Allen said. "Offensively they execute. They cut hard. They get back on defense and they run on offense."

The Celtics have made it their goal to be one of the best defensive teams of all time and so far they are living up to that billing. They have held their opponents to just 84.4 points per game and have allowed more than 90 points just once. The Celtics are fifth in the league in defensive field goal percentage (42.1) and eighth in defensive 3-point percentage.