Celtics (5-11) vs. Lakers (5-14) Preview: Beat LA?
it’s time to resurrect the chant, Celtics Nation:
We're about six hours away - retweet if you want the #Celtics to #BeatLA!
— Hardwood Houdini (@HoudiniCeltics) December 5, 2014
Yes, the greatest rivalry in the NBA is set to resume tonight, as the Boston Celtics host the Los Angeles Lakers for the first of two showdowns this season between these once-proud, now tanking teams.
Sorry: I mean “under-achieving.”
The two teams that have combined to win 33 NBA Finals have teamed up to compile a 10-25 record to start the 2014-2015 campaign, and appear to be lottery-bound for the second straight year. This makes tonight’s game a win-win (or lose-lose, I suppose) situation – win, and the Celtics beat LA! Lose, and the Celtics have the inside track on a higher draft pick.
Why should you tune into a game featuring two absolutely terrible teams? Well, for starters. . . it’s the Celtics versus the Lakers! If you call yourself a Boston Celtics fan, you are legally obligated to do everything in your power to watch this game. If anything, there will be a lot of intensity on the part of the players, since this rivalry doesn’t take rebuilding years off: the players understand they could be meeting in the playoffs sometime down the road, so the roots of this rivalry are incredibly strong.
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In addition, there is the fear of Rajon Rondo becoming a member of the Los Angeles Lakers not-too-soon down the road hanging over this game. Just last weekend, I discussed the possibility of LA wooing Rondo once he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2015; now, we have the Rondo-Kobe Bryant breakfast story that Steve covered for us this morning. It’s all a bit too much for me to stomach, but you have to admit: it sure makes a game that means almost nothing in the standings a great deal more interesting.
Win or lose, there are three people I am watching closely tonight:
1. Rajon Rondo – can he start playing like the player who can take over a game and look to score?
2. Jeff Green – is this really the season in which he puts it all together?
3. Kelly Olynyk – had a good game against the Pistons, so will his confidence continue to build? Or will he revert to a ball-faking decoy tonight?
Tonight’s game tips off at 7:30 p.m. Be sure to tune in (CSN HD, NBA League Pass) and follow us on Twitter @houdiniceltics, because you know we’ll be all over this like Tom Heinsohn on a bad call by the refs!