BOSTON — The Boston Celtics (13-9) and Los Angeles Lakers (16-5) will both be coming off Thursday night wins when they face each other on Friday at TD Garden. The Celtics blew out the Washington Wizards by 45 points, while it took a Rui Hachimura game-winner for the Lakers to beat the Toronto Raptors.
But, the Lakers will be shorthanded for the match-up; Luka Doncic is out for personal reasons, while Lebron James is doubtful to play with right sciatica and a left foot injury. Marcus Smart will miss a fifth consecutive game with a left lumbar muscle strain. Doncic has led the Lakers (and the NBA) in scoring this season, averaging 35.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 8.9 rebounds, while James has been the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 14 points a night.
For the Celtics, on the other hand, the full roster (minus Jayson Tatum) is available. Jaylen Brown was out sick for Thursday’s game against the Washington Wizards, but returns on Friday. Brown has been the Celtics’ leading scorer so far this season, averaging 29 points and 4.9 assists.
Despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics will be fairly well-rested; Payton Pritchard, who played 33 minutes on Thursday, is the only Celtics player who exceeded 30 minutes of playing time in DC.
Austin Reaves (28.9 points, 6.8 assists) has also headlined the Lakers, as well as DeAndre Ayton (15.8 points, 8.6 rebounds). Both players should be good to go on Friday.
The Celtics-Lakers rivalry continues on Friday night
Celtics players expressed their excitement for the game against the Lakers. Jordan Walsh, who is coming off a career-best 22-point night, said he’s excited for the opportunity to face the Celtics’ biggest rival.
“That rivalry is as long as time,” Walsh said. “So to be able to go in there and play against those guys in the fight is a huge moment. I know before, we played them on Christmas Day, and that was huge too. But every time we get a chance to play the Lakers, we always want to dominate.”
Derrick White, who is coming off a 30-point, 9-assist, 7-rebound performance, echoed Walsh’s sentiment.
“It’s the best,” said White of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. “The history, to be a part of something special like that, so something you don’t want to take for granted. It’s just something about it. Every time these two teams meet, it’s always just a fun atmosphere, fun experience, and [I’m] definitely blessed to be a part of it.”
