 |
| Icons for their respective franchises, Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant have squared off 34 times (including playoffs) in their careers. |
Well well well.
Here we are, more than halfway through the regular season, and this game is not what anyone thought it would be. The Celtics (25-23) and Lakers (23-26) were expected to be two of the best teams in the NBA, not struggling to get the eighth and final playoff spot in their respective conferences.
Injuries have been a major factor for both teams (Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger, Avery Bradley to name a few), as the aforementioned players have missed significant time this season.
Inconsistency and the inability to gather the on-court chemistry necessary to succeed are the other factors. Since December 27, the Celtics have lost four in a row, won six in a row, lost six in a row, and are now in the midst of a five-game winning streak. Since December 28, the Lakers have lost eight of their last ten games, and now have won six of their last seven.
The good news is that both teams are hot coming into tonight's action.
Quick shout out to Lakers' point guard Steve Nash, who turns 39-years-old today. Did anyone else know that this Canadian was born in Johannesburg, South Africa?
On to more important business.
The injury bug has hit the Lakers hard of late.
Pau Gasol tore his plantar fascia in his right foot and is expected to miss the next four to six weeks.
Dwight Howard has missed the last three games after re-aggravating a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He participated in shootaround this morning and is listed as a game-time decision.
There's also drama surrounding the Lakers -- when isn't there? -- after Kobe Bryant once again called out Howard. In an interview with ESPN Boston's Jackie MacMullan, Bryant said, "We don't have time for (Howard's shoulder) to heal. We need some urgency."
Ah, things are always fun in Hollywood.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Lakers:
Steve Nash
Kobe Bryant
Metta World Peace
Earl Clark
Robert Sacre
Celtics:
Courtney Lee
Avery Bradley
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. The ticket to a win: Kevin Garnett is coming off a season-high 27 points in last night's victory in Toronto. He also pulled down 10 rebounds, giving him 12 double-doubles on the season. He has now posted double-doubles in four of his last six games. What's fascinating is that Garnett did all of that in only 32 minutes, so Garnett should be somewhat fresh tonight. On a historical note, Garnett is 6 points away from becoming the 16th player in NBA history to score 25,000 points, so that should happen early on in tonight's game. With no Gasol, no Jordan Hill, and possibly no Dwight Howard, the paint should be wide open for Garnett. Last night, Garnett took 7 shots inside the paint. Due to the lack of big men the Lakers will have tonight, Garnett should take at least, if not more, than 7 shots in the paint. He needs to be established early and often.
2. The other guys: The bench is coming off a disappointing performance last night. The bench only scored 24 points. They're better than that and they've showed it during this winning streak. By comparison, well frankly, there's no comparison. The Lakers' bench is atrocious. They're 27th in the NBA in scoring and 23rd in rebounding. The bench is ultra thin with all the injuries, so Boston must take advantage of this huge mismatch.
3. Carpe diem: Things have been lining up nicely for the Celtics. They've gotten breaks -- Chris Paul sat out Sunday's game, the Magic were without Glen Davis, and the Lakers are riddled with injuries -- and they must take advantage of them. Things will start to get a little difficult come next week when the Bulls and Nuggets come to town, followed by a big five-game road trip out West. So the Celtics need to seize the day and take advantage of a golden opportunity tonight with the Lakers playing without two of their best players. If the Celtics can limit their turnovers, rebound, and contain the paint, they'll put themselves in a great position to win.
No comments:
Post a Comment