The visiting Los Angeles Lakers are licking their chops as the Boston Celtics head to the game having lost three in a row.
Here’s a quick, little flashback of the last time the two teams met in Beantown:
HOME TEAM: Boston Celtics (27-14, 16-5 at home)
The Celtics continued collecting Ls this past Sunday when they got edged out by the Phoenix Suns, 123-119. It was their third consecutive loss and sixth in the last eight games.
It should be noted, though, that two of their top three scorers sat out the game – Kemba Walker (knee) and Jaylen Brown (thumb). Both were probably rested for tomorrow’s marquee match-up more than anything so expect them to be fine.
Walker (22.1 PPG), Brown (20 PPG), and Jayson Tatum’s (21.3 PPG) scoring trio will be the key in breaking out of the funk. Gordon Hayward could be on that list as well. He has scored 20-plus in two of his last three outings.
The Celtics are still top five in points allowed (105.6 PAPG) and defensive efficiency despite the slump, and Wednesday’s tilt with the Lakers will be a good day to prove the status.
ROAD TEAM: Los Angeles Lakers (33-8, 18-3 on the road)
The Lakers returned in the win column Sunday after beating the Houston Rockets on the road, 124-115. They are now 4-1 since Anthony Davis got sidelined with a tailbone injury last January 8th. The All-Star big man is still day-to-day and he is not expected to be available tomorrow, as well as point guard Rajon Rondo (finger).
That means LeBron James will remain burdened with a ton of responsibility, particularly on offense. The King is averaging 29 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 11.5 assists in his last five games, and has dished out 19 and 12 assists in back-to-back contests while Rondo is out. He should be in an exciting clash against Tatum, Brown, and the Celtic forwards.
Kyle Kuzma and Dwight Howard have both been stepping up nicely ever since Davis’s injury, as Kuzma is putting up 20 PPG and Howard posting 11 PPG and 12.3 RPG in just 22.9 minutes of play.
The Lakers’ big men and slashers should be eyeing to test the Celtics’ suspect defense in the paint, which ranks 28th in points allowed.
PREDICTION:
The two engage in a tight game and the Celtics escape with a 116-113 win. In the end, the scoring of Walker, Tatum, and Brown will prove to be too much for the Lakers, who would fall short due to the lack of reliable options to trade buckets against the opposition’s high-scoring trio.
