The Boston Celtics have had little trouble defeating the Utah Jazz in recent years.
They have won eight of the last 11 meetings at the TD Garden — including the last three games by an average of 17.3 points — and swept last season’s two-game series. Their last loss came back on March 14, 2008, when Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer were still toiling for Jerry Sloan.
But with the way the Jazz have played as of late, the Celtics may be looking at a dog bar fight.
Two teams in the seventh seed of their respective conferences collide as the red-hot Utah Jazz visit the surging Boston Celtics in tonight’s best game.
The Jazz (27-23) are clicking on all cylinders as they have won seven of their last eight games, including three of the last four on the road. During the hot stretch, they have averaged a robust 109 points per game and vaulted themselves back into the playoff picture — tied for the seventh seed and just 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-seeded Clippers.
The team has protected the rim particularly well this season — they are fourth-best in the league with 5.76 blocked shots per game, led by Al Jefferson’s 1.5 blocks.
Since returning from a two-game absence due to the death of his maternal grandmother, Jefferson has been lights out, averaging 22.4 points on 58.2% shooting, 9.2 rebounds and two blocks in the last five games. He returns to play against the team that originally drafted him with the 15th overall pick back in 2004.
Paul Millsap, best known as an undersized, overachieving low-post presence, is second in the league in steals in the month of March with 2.6 per game.
Rookie Alec Burks has come on the scene as of late, averaging 13.3 points over the last three games.
The Celtics (27-22) have won a season-high six straight at home and four of their last five games overall, surviving a stretch in which they played eight of the last nine games on the road. They are just 1/2 game behind Philadelphia for the Atlantic Division lead and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Kevin Garnett has played like a different man since Doc Rivers inserted him at the center position. In 22 games, he has averaged 16.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks — during which the team has gone 15-7.
Paul Pierce is having a notable March, averaging 22.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in the last 15 games.
After missing the last three contests, Ray Allen is a game-time decision.