After clinching the 2020 NBA title in the bubble the Los Angeles Lakers have tied the Boston Celtics for most championships ever, with seventeen. Who will win tonight in a battle between the NBA’s greatest franchises?
NBA fans get ready for some exhilarating and breathtaking basketball on your Saturday Night as the Boston Celtics welcome the Los Angeles Lakers! The stars will be out to play as Anthony Davis and LeBron James will be taking on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker in what could be an early preview of the 2021 NBA Finals. Both teams have not been playing to the level that is expected from the two greatest franchises in NBA history. In their last ten games, the Lakers are 7-3 and currently are on a two game losing streak, while the Celtics are 6-4 which can be seen as a positive for Boston as they have been without their key players mostly due to COVID protocol and injury. Although these records in the last ten games are similar, and a struggling franchise like the Chicago Bulls would be ecstatic to go 7-3 of 6-4 (I would know I am a fan), the common denominator is that they have both lost to the Philadelphia 76ers within this time frame. The 76ers seems to be a real contender for the NBA title this year after getting swept by the Celtics in their previous playoff run. As the Sixers seems to be a rising force to be dealt with, both teams are looking to pick up a signature win tonight against their most storied rival.
The Lakers:
Propelled by LeBron’s 25.5 PPG 7.5 AST 7.8 REB and Davis’s 21.9PPG 8.8 REB the Lakers, in 20 games, find themselves at 14-6 which places them 3rd in the West. So far this season the Lakers have been proving themselves to be the rightful 2019-2020 champions as they are on pace to finish near or around the one seed in the Western conference. Seeding, in my opinion does not carry as much weight when it comes to the Lakers as Lebron James, Anthony David and company have shown in the bubble they can play at an elite level anywhere in the country. A big contributor to their elite level of play is the fact that LeBron James, who is in now his 18th year in the league has, without surprise, found a way to continue to dominate the league and adapt to his aging body. Averaging close to a triple double and shooting the ball at an elite level James is the captain of the Lakers and their driving force to another championship. In addition to James, Anthony Davis is arguably the best second star in the NBA and provides the Lakers the ability to win games even when Lebron takes a night off. Both stars will look to keep the pace rolling tonight especially as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are on the other side of the court. Two young budding stars who play with no fear on a normal night will have their hands full as “The King” will want to make sure they know who still holds the crown. Expect the Lakers to abuse the paint with Lebron driving to the basket and Davis making BBQ chicken out of Theis and Thompson. Don’t forget about that supporting cast as well, as Kuzma, Matthews and Schroder stay ready behind the arc with Harrell providing even more of an inside punch off the bench.
The Celtics:
The Big 3 in Boston will be looking to announce their official arrival to the contender scene after dropping two games to their Eastern Conference rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers. Sure they can beat up on teams that are not performing well but how will they fair against the one-two punch in LA. All I am going to say is that it will be a long night for Daniel Theis and Tristian Thompson, Brad Stevens will need to figure out something quick if Anthony Davis starts off hot from all over the floor. One worry that Brad Stevens won’t have to deal with is if he will have enough offensive production to stay in the game. With arguably 2-3 of the best scorers in the NBA, Stevens should have no problem keeping his team in the game on the back of Tatum, Brown and Walker (although Kemba is still finding his legs after coming back from injury). Jayson Tatum, the young star who once dunked all over Lebron James will be looking to smell blood all game as these two have done this dance before and he will once again look to come out on top. The NBA All-Star is hungry to take that leap this year and not fall short in the playoffs and what better way than proving yourself against the NBA Champions. Right there with him will be Jaylen Brown who is currently playing out of his mind averaging 27.1 PPG. He will look to assist or pick up any lack of scoring that Tatum fails to provide and of course his spark on defense along side Marcus Smart makes him a significant piece to Brad Stevens puzzle. Scoring will be provided at ease for the Boston Celtics but look for Stevens to continually make adjustments during the game as he tries to deal with the likes of Davis, Gasol and Harrell in the paint as the Celtics center play this season has been abysmal.
Final Thoughts:
This contest will generate a lot of conversation in the sense of, do the Boston Celtics have what it takes to be potentially crowned NBA Champions one day? Or does LeBron still have enough in the tank to take on the younger upcoming generation of NBA talent? All I know is this matchup will be a game of chess from start to finish and whoever comes out victorious will have a confidence about them exuding as they look to put together a nice run of games. I do have some bold predictions for this game as I truly believe LeBron will lead both teams in scoring and assists as he always puts up over the top performances against the Boston Celtics. With that said though, Jayson Tatum will also leave his mark on the game with a few expected one on one duels with LeBron that he may come out the winner from. Both sets of fans will have their teeth clenched from start to finish but for fans of the NBA, or fans of other teams around the league, we will certainly be rooting for absolutely no one and the only win I will truly care about is the payout I receive from taking the over.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers 127 – Boston Celtics 118