NBA: LA Lakers vs. Boston Celtics Preview, H2H, Odds, Predictions

The LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics meet at the TD Garden, just like in the old times. When the West coast meets the East, that always promises a spectacle. Two of the most successful franchises in the NBA are at different levels today, with the Cs being one of the best units in the league and the Lakers struggling to find the proper form and chemistry. However, when you have LeBron and Davis, anything is possible for the purple and gold. 

Preview

Los Angeles Lakers (23-26, +280) won the past three games in the past four events, which is a significant improvement after a stretch of shaky and mild performances. Their victims were Grizzlies, Trail Blazers and Spurs in the latest event, with the only loss coming to the Clippers. 

LBJ and the boys beat the Spurs at the Crypto.com Arena, 113-104, having to speed up in the final sequence once they outscored the rivals 32-22. It was the sequence that decided the event and left a W in LA. 

LeBron was short one board of a triple-double with 20 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds, yet shooting 1-for-6 for three and 8-for-20 from the field. Anthony Davis came off the bench to add 21 buckets and 12 rebounds, while Patrick Beverly had a very productive night for his standards with 18 points. 

Boston Celtics (35-15, -355) lost three games in a row, two on the road and the most recent at home against the big rivals, the New York Knicks, who were better following the overtimes, 120-117. 

Jayson Tatum had 35 points with 14 boards, while Jaylen Brown scored 22 but these two shot for three pretty badly, hitting three of their 15 tries. Derrick White had 15 points, but the bench added just 31 buckets, which was one of the critical reasons for losing. 

The control of the glass was more or less good, with the Cs having 54 boards, four more than the rivals, but their shooting percentage was poor, 41%. Marcus Smart’s absence was obvious, with the Defensive Player of the Year injuring his ankle before this event. He should be ready for the Lakers.

Head to Head Games

LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics met 12 times in the finals, with the Cs having the edge and a 9-3 advantage. Regarding this year, they’ve already met in LA, and the Cs had more luck beating the rivals after the OT, 122-118. 

Tatum had 44 points and was unstoppable, while Brown scored 25, and grabbed 15 points. Marcus Smart ended the night with 18 buckets. The Lakers had AD and LeBron. Davis dropped 37 and reached 12 boards, while LeBron scored 33 with nine boards and assists each. Russell Westbrook entered off the bench with 20 points and 14 boards, but he couldn’t become a hero and take his team to the victory.

Prediction

This game could bring back the Cs on the winning path. The Lakers are playing solid these days, but still, their roster is far from Boston’s when looking at its depth, and the chemistry on the court is at a much higher level. That is why we take the Celtics to triumph on Sunday night.

Pick: Boston Celtics -355