Hot Celtics, Red-Hot Lakers Renew Rivalry in Boston on Friday
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The NBA’s signature rivalry returns to prime time when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Boston Celtics on Friday night, and both clubs arrive in top form.
Los Angeles is coming off a dramatic road victory in Toronto, sealed by a Rui Hachimura buzzer-beater, and a 44-point performance from Austin Reaves. The win pushed the Lakers to 16-5 overall and an NBA-best 9-2 mark away from home. Head coach Darvin Ham’s group is also shooting a league-leading 51 percent from the field, production that has traveled well early in the season.
Boston has been nearly as sharp, especially at TD Garden, where the team owns a 7-4 record. The Celtics have taken eight of their last 10 contests while averaging 122 points during that span, fueled by consistent three-point shooting. Derrick White leads the roster in made threes, and Jaylen Brown continues to shoulder the scoring load with Jayson Tatum sidelined by an Achilles issue.
Both teams face injury questions ahead of tip-off. Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is listed as day-to-day because of a personal matter, and Memphis guard Marcus Smart is managing a back problem. On Boston’s side, Brown is day-to-day due to illness. Even so, the long-standing rivalry typically guarantees a charged atmosphere regardless of who is available.
Oddsmakers opened with the Celtics as the favorite. Boston leans on high-volume perimeter shooting, while Los Angeles excels inside the arc. It may be December instead of June, but Lakers-Celtics rarely feels like an ordinary regular-season game.
Source: Hoops Wire
