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13 hours ago

Jason Terry’s 2012-13 Final Grade

  Acquiring any player, whether it’s via trade, free agency, or the draft, comes with an air of uncertainty. The NBA has no guaranteed covenant and all sales are final, no matter how talented, proven, or productive the player may have been in year’s past. But these memories—especially recent ones—often clouds the judgment of a [...]

3
9 days ago

Painful Reminders (Part I): The Celtics Drafted JaJuan Johnson Instead of Jimmy Butler

On June 23rd, 2011, Brian Robb and I stood around a high top bar table in Tommy Doyle’s in Kendall Square.  Before us lay one of the biggest mounds of buffalo chicken wings I had ever endeavor to make disappear.  These 25 cent flappers- one of the few indulgences afforded to the participants of our [...]

19
10 days ago

Chris Wilcox: 2012-13 Final Grade

There are a number of contextually-appropriate ways to craft this post. One would be to forgo words entirely, and represent Chris Wilcox’s entire season with a series of videos. That would involve one part of this: For every eight parts of this: Note the headline on that second clip. Someone was so amused/enraged by Wilcox’s [...]

12
11 days ago

Rajon Rondo’s 2012-13 Final Grade

Here’s a sweeping general statement involving super specific statistics that may or may not mean anything: In the 1423 minutes Rajon Rondo played this season, the Boston Celtics were outscored by 1.3 points per 100 possessions. When he sat (including all contests after he tore his ACL), Boston was better than their opponents by 1.8 [...]

94
11 days ago

Avery Bradley Elected to NBA All-Defense Second Team

Avery Bradley has been a standout defender for the past couple seasons…in the regular season anyway. Now he has a trophy to prove it. The NBA announced this afternoon that the third-year guard has been elected by coaches around the league to the second-team all-NBA defensive team for the first time in his career. Bradley [...]

13
15 days ago

Paul Pierce’s Contract: Dispelling The Myths and Stating The Facts

The first domino to fall this offseason is Paul Pierce’s contract. Until Danny Ainge figures out what he’s doing there, little else matters. As we wait for this decision, we also must face the rest of the offseason, which means it is also rumor season. With that time of year, comes plenty of information floating [...]

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Game 54: Celtics (28-25) @ Lakers (25-29) Open Thread

http://www.espn.go.com/media/nba/2006/0320/photo/a_pierce_395.jpgBoston at Los Angeles
10:30 P.M. ET
Staples Center

CSNNE/ESPN

Offensive Efficiency:
Boston: 100.1 points/100 possessions (23rd)
Los Angeles:
104.9 points/100 possessions (8th)

Defensive Efficiency:
Boston: 99.4 points allowed/100 possessions (5th)
Los Angeles:
 103.4 points allowed/100 possessions (16th)

Probable Lakers Starters:
Steve Nash (PG), Kobe Bryant (SG), Metta World Peace (SF), Earl Clark (PF), and Dwight Howard (C)

View From The Opposing Bench: Forum Blue and Gold

Thumbnail: For the second consecutive night, the Celtics face a team that is much stronger at home than it is on the road. However, this time around Boston faces its archrival, the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know of their well-publicized struggles thus far this season, but the Lakers’ old bodies have a lot of rest heading into Wednesday’s contest. In addition, there will be an added pride factor for Los Angeles after Jerry Buss’s recent death.

In order for the Lakers to succeed in 2012-13, they have had to hold opponents to fewer than 100 points. When they have done so, they have an 18-7 record. However, when the Lakers do not, they are 7-22. One of those 22 losses this season was a blowout at the hands of the Celtics a couple weeks ago in Boston. The Lakers’ recent struggles have mainly been because their defense. They have given up at least 100 points in three of their last five games and have lost all three. Of course, they won the other two.

Although the Celtics and Lakers were near the top of their respective conferences just a few years ago, they are both fighting for playoff spots now. They both have aged centerpieces that on their last legs. Paul Pierce showed that he was a 35-year-old on Tuesday at Denver when he shot 2-for-14 from the field. It was only the fourth time in his 1,208-game regular season and postseason career that he made two or fewer field goals while attempting at least 14 in the same game. Wednesday’s game is obviously more important for the Lakers because they are at home and on the outside looking in regarding the Western Conference playoffs. Pierce will look to continue to spoil the Lakers’ chances at playing in the postseason.

Prediction: The Celtics are victorious against the Lakers twice in one calendar month for the first time since January 1975, according to Elias.

Celtics 97, Lakers 93

For more Celtics coverage and pertinent statistics, follow Celtics Hub and Stats Adam Lowenstein on Twitter: @CelticsHub and @StatsAdam

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