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Boston Celtics (28-25) at Los Angeles Lakers (25-29)
Regular Season Game #54 Road Game #25
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
10:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN, TWC, KSPN, CSNNE, The Score
Radio: WEEI, WMFS
Staples Center Probable Starters Point Guard: Avery Bradley ---------------- Shooting Guard: Courtney Lee
Center: Kevin Garnett
Small Forward: Paul Pierce ------------------ Power Forward: Brandon Bass
Jason Terry
Jason Collins
Chris Wilcox
Jeff Green
Fab Melo
Terrence Williams
Injuries:Rajon Rondo (knee) out
Jared Sullinger (back) out
Leandro Barbosa (knee) out
Probable Starters Point Guard: Steve Nash -------------------- Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant
Center: Dwight Howard
Small Forward: Ron Artest -------------------- Power Forward: Earl Clark
Steve Blake
Jodie Meeks
Robert Sacre
Chris Duhon
Devin Ebanks
Darius Morris
Injuries Pau Gasol (foot) out
Jordan Hill (hip) out
Team Connections Brandon Bass and Dwight Howard were teammates in Orlando from 2009-11
Bass, Howard, Earl Clark and Chris Duhon were teammates in Orlando during the 2010-11 season
Jason Collins and Paul Gasol were teammates in Memphis during the 2007-08 season
Courtney Lee and Dwight Howard were teammates in Orlando during the 2008-09 season
Lee and Jordan Hill were teammates in Houston from 2010-12
Jason Terry and Jordan Hill both attended Arizona
Steve Blake and Chris Wilcox both attended Maryland
Chris Duhon and Chris Wilcox both played for New York during the 2008-09 season
Leandro Barbosa and Steve Nash were teammates in Phoenix from 2004-10.
Game NotesThe Celtics and Lakers square off for the final time this season, this time at the Staples Center. In their first meeting, the Celtics came out on top 116-95 in spite of having played the night before in Toronto and getting in at 3 am after going through customs and traveling back to Boston.
The Celtics are once again playing in back to back games, this time after playing another tough game the night before in Denver. The Lakers have been off since before the All Star break and should either be well rested or rusty. Hopefully, the latter.
The Celtics have dropped to 8-16 on the road while the Lakers are 16-11 at home. The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 games while the Lakers are 6-4 in their last 10. The Celtics are looking to start a new winning streak after the loss last night in Denver and the Lakers are also looking for a win after losing their final game before the break.
Although the luster may have come off the rivalry between these two teams considering their struggles this season, it is still Celtics vs Lakers and that's always a game that the Celtics circle on their calendars.
Key Matchups vs
Courtney Lee vs Kobe Bryant
Kobe has had some problems with his elbow, but that won't stop him from playing and from putting up big numbers. Against the Nets on Tuesday, Kobe finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. He had to shoot 24 shots though to get 21 points. One thing is for certain, Kobe will keep shooting, whether he is hitting or not. CLee has to harass him enough to make him miss more than he makes.
vs
Honorable Mention Avery Bradley vs Steve Nash
Steve Nash can score and can set up his teammates, but he has never been known for his speed or his defense. With Avery's speed, he should be able to beat Nash and get to the hoop. He should also be able to keep Nash from putting up big numbers.
Keys to the GameRebound - Rebounding is key to getting a win. A big reason for this is that much of rebounding is effort and desire and the team that wants it most goes harder after the rebounds and the team that wants it more wins the game.
Defense - Defense is the key to winning this game and to winning Banner 18. The Celtics have been winning with their defense and they need to continue that tough lock down defense, especially in this game if they want to get the win. They have to defend both the perimeter and the paint as the Lakers are capable of hitting the long ball as well as getting to the hoop to score.
Push the Ball - The Celtics have found success in pushing the ball up the court quickly before the defense can get set. They need to continue to do this and to advance the ball with the pass rather than walking it up. Ball movement will be key.
Hustle and Effort - The Celtics must come out with energy and go after every loose ball and every rebound. They have to be the team that wants it more if they want to win this game. The Lakers will be motivated to avenge the loss in Boston and the Celtics have to match their intensity. The Celtics must be the more aggressive team.
X-FactorsFatigue and the Road
The Celtics are playing in back to back games once again. They were able to overcome the fatigue of back to back games in Boston but that was at home. This time they are on the road and played a tough game the night before. Hopefully they will have enough in the tank to pull this one out.