Preview: Celtics Visit Short-Handed Lakers as Another Chapter in Rivalry Awaits
Photo by Maddie Meyer | Getty Images
The most storied rivalry in the history of the NBA is before us again as Brad Stevens leads the resurgent Boston Celtics into the Staples Center to take on Frank Vogel’s Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics are coming off their fourth consecutive victory, beating the Portland Trailblazers 116-115 on Tuesday. The Lakers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 101-93 in their last outing.
Boston is led by their dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum (25.9 ppg )and Jaylen Brown (24.3 ppg). Tristan Thompson is their leading rebounder at 8.2 per game. Tatum and Marcus Smart are tied in the assist category at 4.2 apg.
The Lakers are paced in points, rebounds, and assists (25.4, 7.9, 7.9) by superstar forward LeBron James, who has missed the last 5 weeks with a high ankle sprain. Also missing in action is All-Star forward Anthony Davis who, despite missing 32 games, is still second in scoring at 22.5 ppg. In their absence, different players have tried to pick up the slack. This includes Dennis Schroeder (15.4), Montrezl Harrel l(14.2), and Kyle Kuzma (12.3).
Despite the missing star power, the Lakers are not going to roll over and let the Celtics have this game. They understand the history and animosity of this storied rivalry and will do everything they can to hold up the Laker mantle. Meanwhile, the Celtics will be looking to run their winning streak to five and continue climbing up the Eastern Conference standings.
On the injury front, guard Evan Fournier (health and safety protocol) is the only player listed. The Lakers have a lengthy injury report going into tonight’s game. In addition to James and Davis, there are seven additional players listed. Marc Gasol, Wesley Matthews, Kyle Kuzma, and Andre Drummond are all probable; Dennis Schroder and Markieff Morris are both questionable; Jared Dudley is out.
Make sure to tune in to our live pregame show, The Banner Town Build Up, 30 minutes before the game on YouTube and Facebook @GuyBostonSports. The Celtics will tip-off against the Lakers at 10:00 p.m. (EST) on TNT.
