Any time the Lakers play the Celtics, it is a big deal. The teams can be awful — and in the last 20 years, there have been plenty of match ups where one or both were not of good quality — and the game will still matter to fans and, more importantly, the players.
This, from head trainer Gary Vitti sums up the sentiment well:
Lakers-Celtics is a long way from its glory days, so let Gary Vitti get you pumped for tomorrow's game. @ocregister pic.twitter.com/qyQsTXWXlg
— Bill Oram (@billoram) December 29, 2015
This game, then, matters more than others. I have noted in the past that if the Lakers were unfortunate enough to go 2-80 on the year, if those two wins came against the Celtics it would take some of the sting off. That’s an exaggeration, but the desire to beat that specific team is real.
Tonight, though, there is the added stakes of this being Kobe’s last game in Boston. The extra meaning of Kobe’s farewell tour isn’t lost on me and I doubt it will be lost on the players, either. I expect an electric atmosphere to start the contest with the fans showing out to pay their respect to Kobe, and then I expect that to continue with them wanting nothing more than to send their hated rival out of town with another L.
Considering the quality of both teams, the Celtics should do just that. But this is why the games are played and why we watch. Does Kobe have one more great night in him to hold off the Celtics? Can D’Angelo Russell find his groove against a batch of very good defensive guards (Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley specifically)? Can Julius Randle step up his game and show the C’s what they’re missing when they decided to draft Smart ahead of him in the draft?
These are some of the storylines which serve as the backdrop for the game and I, for one, am excited to see how it all plays out. The Celtics certainly have the advantage in personnel and in coaching. Isaiah Thomas is playing like an All-Star, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder are providing very good two-way play, Evan Turner and Kelly Olynyk are nice options off the bench, and role players like Jared Sullinger and Amir Johnson are doing their jobs.
Add all that up and the Lakers are in for a tough night. That said, if the Kobe/Russell/Randle trio can have good nights, Lou Williams can start to hit some shots, and Brandon Bass (revenge game?!) can continue his good play the Lakers can keep pace. And if it comes down to the last few possessions where a back-and-forth between two storied rivals ends up occurring, I’ll walk away somewhat happy. Hopefully, though, they can do more than that and get that W. Rooting for anything else tonight simply isn’t in the DNA.
Where you can watch: 4:30pm start time on TWC Sportsnet and NBA TV nationally. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM Los Angeles.
Clay Bertrand says
I received a Boston Celtics T-shirt from a work colleague some years back. Not ashamed to say I used to use it to clean my toilet. Now I just use it to wipe up DOG MESSES.
Byron, Jim, Jeanie, Kobe, Tanking…..None of that matters against Boston. We gotta kick Celtic Butt Tonight….we can continue the Tanking and the plotting in vain against Byron in the new year (AKA Friday)!!!!!
Rip their Hearts out KOBE!!!!!!! Show the young guys the Hatred!!!!! TEACH THEM to carry it on!!!!!!!!!!!!! God I HATE Danny Ainge!!!!!!!!!!!
GO LAKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tim says
No matter how much the Lakers are struggling this is one game I really want them to win. Nothing like beating the Boston Celtics. And thank you M.L. Carr for drafting Antoine Walker.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14449708/truehoop-presents-how-kobe-bryant-almost-became-boston-celtic
KO says
Expect 10 point loss tonight. Might be one of those 3 for 15 nights for Kobe based on 1 for 10 2nd half last game plus desire to blast Celtics.
Boston has a very good coach. Unlike Lakers.
KevTheBold says
@ Clay Lol !
KO says
Kobe 1 for his last 17 with. 5 airballs and 4 TO. He is Embarrising bad yet still is out there.
Kobe tour is becoming a joke.
LKK says
Good effort from the second unit to close the gap towards the end of the first. Kobe looks like his shoulder is barking. The younguns look good on offense, not so good on D.
KevTheBold says
Rand & Russ having great games thus far!
Go Lakers !
BigCitySid says
-What a wonderful late Christmas gift a victory over the Celtics would be. DAR looking very good at the moment w/ the Lakers up by 4 in the 2nd and Tommy Hindparts getting angry, lol.
KevTheBold says
Randle hits a right hand shot !!
Tim says
Randle strong to the rim and throws it down, he is having a nice game,
KO says
Kobe 2 for 12
Last 2 halfs 3 for 22.
But its all about the Kobathon.
Sorry but he should not be playing with his injuries.
Bryon showing how weak he is.
Hope Kobe has a job for BS next year.
KO says
Laker would be up 20 without Kobe and Lurch Hibbert
KevTheBold says
Fantastic game thus far.
The Lakers can win this one !!
Fern says
That state farm comercial with Deandre, Lillard, CP and KG, LMAO, the Lakers are playing so well, wow
Fern says
Lakers playing well for a change and leading by 11 entering the 4th and KO still complains, Jesus!!!
Mid-Wilshire says
Through 3 Qs, the kids are playing well tonight.
Clarkson has 18, Russell 14, and Randle 13. Each has 3 assists. And we have another quarter to go.
This is encouraging.
KO says
Kobe trying hard to lose the game. With help from Bryon.
I real coach would pull him.
Oh well.
Marques says
Randle is going to choke Byron Scott before the season is over.
Byron does the most confusing things I’ve ever seen in life.
Tim says
Kobe with a huge 3
KevTheBold says
That’s what we need, some momba moments ! Go Kobe !
Joel says
Oh snap son
Fern says
“Kobe trying hard to lose the game. With help from Byron” and then go and score 2 monster 3s and a couple of fts and get the freaking Boston Garden chanting his name… No coach in the history of basketball would bench Kobe the 4th in his final game in freaking Boston…
Mid-Wilshire says
In the ‘fridge.
KevTheBold says
Yes ! ! !
Take that, you little green illegitimate pompous posers !
The Lakers may be down, but we still step on the leprechaun !
Tim says
LAKERS WIN, Randle, Clarkson, Williams and Russell lead the way with a little help from Kobe.
Fern says
Im pretty sure that of all the memories in this bleak final season Kobe will cherish that 3 point dagger in Boston the best, i dont give a crap he shoot poorly the first 3 quarters, he came thru when the team needed him the most…
KO says
I stand corrected. Clarkson, Russ, Randle, Lou great games.
Did Hibbert play?
Fern says
@Tim dont forget Kobe, he put this game on ice, without him they would had cough up the lead…
bluehill says
How ’bout them Lakers!
Chibi says
Ugh. Celtic fans chanted for Kobe ? Have some self-respect. Disgusting.
KO says
Fern his shoulder was really hurting. Gonna bet he will be out soon. That is why is shooting poor outside.
Fern says
They boo him everytime he touched the ball but when he came thru and hit that mosnter dagger they showed him the respect he earned, and there was a fairly sizable Laker crowd, in Boston of all places, well, this is the place that chant MVP for him in 2007…
Fern says
@KO, maybe, but he didn’t care when he dunked in the 3rd, if he goes down he goes down fighting, not checking himself out of a game because the AC is broken and it’s too hot like another player that people liked to compare to him, the man has stones of steel…
Hale says
One down, one to go and the Lakers will win the At Least We Beat Them title.
Kobe’s in a lot of pain. I know that mask.
Marlon Brando says
That dagger 3 by Kobe had me jumping for joy. Clearly the man is hurting, but to take that shot from the Atlantic, in the garden, and slay the hopes of all Celtic fans in the arena….priceless. I’ll miss this guy playing basketball.
KenOak says
Can’t ask for a better game than that. Lakers pull away from the hated Celtics with Kobe leading the way after a horrible shooting night. It’s like watching Game 7 all over again!
Mid-Wilshire says
The kids looked good tonight (which is very encouraging). Clarkson, I thought, looked awesome — 24 pts. (10-15 shooting, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 TO).
As a reminder, the top picks from the 2014 draft were, in order:
1) Andrew Wiggins
2) Jabari Parker
3) Joel Embiid
4) Aaron Gordon
5) Dante Exum
6) Marcus Smart
7) Julius Randle
8) Nik Stauskas
9) Noah Vonleh
10) Elfrid Payton
Is there any doubt that the Lakers nailed their two 2014 draft picks — Clarkson (2nd round, #46 overall) and Randle (1st round, #7 overall)? IMO they got 2 out of the top 3 picks. Let’s not mince words. If that draft were held today, Wiggins would go #1, Randle #2, and (I am convinced) Clarkson #3.
And, to top things off, Russell is already showing flashes of future excellence (at the age of 19) and Nance Jr. is proving that he absolutely belongs in this league.
Maybe there is a future for the Lakers after all.
Chearn says
When this current roster of players ends their careers in 5-10 years can you imagine fans in an opposing arena chanting their names? I’ll wait!
Kobe Bean Bryant is basketball royalty; I appreciate him even at this late phase of his career. Appreciate him while you can because you’ll soon be using him as the barometer for anyone donning a Lakers uniform.
Great game by D’Angelo, Julius, Larry, Kobe, Lou, and Baby Faced Assassin Clarkson!
AusPhil says
Loved it. Great game from the kids, and Kobe with some daggers in the fourth.
Beating Boston makes everything seem so much better.
lil pau says
that was an incredible game and one i will remember long after kobe is gone….
Kbj says
Only game that might be better than this game will be Kobe’s last game at Staples Center.
rr says
Nice game–glad the Lakers won this one with the young guys doing well and a big 3 dropping late for KB.
Jim C. says
Loved that game.
This is the sort of feeling that I expected the Lakers to have most of the year. An exciting young core of youngsters spending major minutes on the floor together learning to play one another and loving every minute of it with the ball in Jordan Clarkson’s hands late down the stretch.
A rare kudos to Byron Scott for letting Russell/Randle/Clarkson have such a long run together to get and then maintain the lead.
And then a prominent WTF for nearly throwing it away playing Nick Young/Brandon Bass together at PF and C leading to a series of layups and dunks. Thank god the Celtics stopped driving to the hole at every opportunity and went back to chucking from the outside.
Anon says
KO’s comments are always wretched. Somehow they are darkly funny when the team wins. Very entertaining game to watch!
(Especially satisfying to be reminded that the Celtics drafted Smart ahead of Randle!)
Tra says
Good win. Nothing felt better than Kobe sinking that 3. Nothing sounded better than Celtics fans chanting “KOBE.” And nothing looked better than Kobe planting little pecks on the lips of his Wife and Daughters when it was all said and done.
Fulofunk says
Tra……….couldn’t have said it better.