The two most prestigious teams in the history of the NBA will meet on Sunday afternoon in sunny Los Angeles. The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have combined to win 33 NBA titles, and both teams have 10 more titles than the next closest team in the league. Boston is seen as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, while the Lakers are the current favorites to win the NBA title per the NBA futures odds. There is a good chance that one of these teams claims another championship this season, and this could be a preview of the 2020 NBA Finals.
This game will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on February 23, 2020, and the game will be broadcast on ABC.
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Head-To-Head Results to Date
Since these teams are in opposite conferences, they only play twice a year. This will be the second meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, and the first meeting resulted in the worst loss of the season for Los Angeles. Boston annihilated Los Angeles in Beantown, hammering its biggest rival 139-107 thanks to a phenomenal shooting performance from the entire team. The Celtics shot 55.9 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three, and four of five starters finished the game with at least 16 points.
Injury Report
Kemba Walker was ruled out of Boston’s Friday night clash with Minnesota. Walker is dealing with left knee soreness, and that has him questionable for Sunday’s game as well. Additionally, Robert Williams will miss this game for the Celtics as he continues to recover from a hip injury.
DeMarcus Cousins is a long-term injury concern for the Lakers. Cousins has yet to play this season after being injured again in last year’s playoffs, and the big man is hoping he will be ready for the summer.
Matchup to Watch
The Lakers win through their frontcourt. LA has the best frontcourt in the league with Anthony Davis and LeBron James both averaging more than 25.0 PPG, and Kyle Kuzma is the only other player on the team averaging double digits. That has made the Lake Show one of the most efficient offenses in the league, as James is also the top distributor in the NBA with 10.8 APG.
Jayson Tatum was very impressive when these teams met last month, and he is coming into his own as a player. Tatum leads the Celtics with 22.4 PPG, and he is starting to take over games in the low post. He is the only reliable big man on the roster, so it’s on him to be a match against the Lakers, and the pressure will be on him in the postseason.
Game Preview
Boston has the advantage in the backcourt provided Walker is healthy. Walker has been a breath of fresh air this season, and he was named a starter in last week’s All-Star Game. He is averaging 21.8 PPG, shooting 38.8 percent from downtown, and the Lakers don’t have great perimeter defenders to close out on Walker, Jaylen Brown, and Gordon Hayward. That will lead to plenty of good looks for the Celtics.
Prediction
It’s not easy to travel cross-country even with a week’s worth of rest. However, the Lakers have been worse at home than they have on the road, so I like the Celtics’ chances of pulling off the upset on Sunday. Boston is 13-7 against Western Conference foes, and this defense has traveled well. The Celtics are surrendering just 105.5 PPG on the road this season, so take Boston and the points.
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