Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers preview, injury report, and info - November 19, 2021
BangorDailyNews.com
The Boston Celtics dropped their last game vs. the Atlanta Hawks, but need to put that one in the rearview mirror. Tonight, they partake in possibly the greatest rivalry in sports as they face off against the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James is expected to make his return, and this one should be a phenomenal game.
Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers game preview, injury report, and info
How to Watch
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Channel(s): ESPN, NBC Sports Boston
Team Breakdowns
Boston lost their last game to Atlanta, but Jayson Tatum put up his most complete performance of the season. He dropped 34 points, nine rebounds, five assists in that one. The most impressive bit, however, was that he shot 12-22 from the field and 5-12 from three-point range. This is the type of efficiency Tatum has struggled to reach this year. His success was underutilized, though, as Boston’s offense around him looked horrendous once again.
Outside of solid performances from Josh Richardson and Grant Williams, the rest of the roster just couldn’t get things going on offense. Richardson’s 11 points were the only points scored by Boston’s bench unit. It was a terrible display of offense, and realistically, the defense wasn’t much better. Trae Young looked underwhelming, but the Celtics’ continuous need to double-team him led to wide-open shots for Young’s teammates. Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish torched the C’s.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have been having an up and down season as well. They sit at 8-8 on the year, but LeBron James has only played in six of those games. LA is 4-2 with James on the court, and 4-6 without him. After a tough start, point guard Russell Westbrook has begun to turn things around from an efficiency standpoint, though. However, it will be interesting to see how he performs with James back in the lineup. Anthony Davis has been solid this year, too, and Carmelo Anthony has been the team’s flamethrower off the bench.
Injury Report
For Boston, both Jaylen Brown (hamstring) and Robert Williams (knee) are questionable for tonight’s game. Brown was upgraded to questionable yesterday afternoon.
LA has a few more people listed on their injury report. Trevor Ariza (ankle), Austin Reaves (hamstring), and Kendrick Nunn (knee) are all out tonight. Meanwhile, LeBron James (abdomen) was upgraded to questionable yesterday, and Anthony Davis (thigh) is probable.
Keys to the Game
Assuming James, Davis, Brown, and Williams all play (which is probably a likely scenario), Boston needs to focus on their defense. As rough as the Lakers can look on offense, they still have three stars in their starting lineup. Stopping LeBron is never easy, and the same can be said for Davis and Westbrook, but the Celtics have great defenders. If they can play elite team defense and slow down LA’s big three, then winning will become a whole lot easier.
Past that, a big-time game from Jaylen Brown would be beautiful. After missing so much time, it’s become extremely clear that he is the driving force (literally and figuratively) that leads this Celtics offense. His ability to drive to the paint and finish could completely change the way this offense looks. Having Brown back is going to be a massive help, as he’s been the team’s most consistent player this season by far.
Lastly, Boston’s bench needs to do something. Getting no points outside of Richardson is unacceptable, and they have to do a better job at making an impact. Having Brown and Williams back will help, as Dennis Schroder and Grant Williams will likely be back on the bench, but regardless, the role players need to step things up. Look for players like Romeo Langford to make a bigger impact tonight.
Pregame Show
Make sure to tune in to our live pregame show, “The Banner Town Build Up.” We are live 30 minutes before every Celtics game at @GuyBostonSports on YouTube and Facebook. See you there at 7:00 p.m. (EST) tonight!
