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Boston 27-2 (Road: 10-1)
LA Lakers 23-5 (Home: 14-1)
It turns out the NBA’s most storied rivalry didn’t die - it was just dormant for the better part of two decades.
Not anymore.
When the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics meet at Staples Center on Thursday for the first time since last season’s NBA finals, both teams will again come in leading their respective conferences, with Boston’s club-record 19-game winning streak adding an extra dimension to a much-anticipated Christmas Day rematch.
“It’s good for the game,” Lakers star Kobe Bryant said. “Growing up in high school, you hear Bulls and Knicks, Lakers-Celtics and all this other stuff. The hype is what creates the atmosphere and the energy for people who watch the game. It’s enjoyable for us to be a part of it. I know if I was coming up in high school, I’d be tuning in, just like everybody else.”
With the Celtics perpetually struggling to rebuild since the days when Larry Bird and the old Big Three would often tangle in the finals with Magic Johnson and the Lakers, Boston was an afterthought for Los Angeles when it returned to prominence with three straight NBA titles from 2000-02.
But the Celtics reloaded before last season, uniting Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen with mainstay Paul Pierce, and the rivalry reignited. Both teams earned top seeds for the playoffs and eventually met in the NBA finals for the first time since 1987 and 11th time overall.
Boston captured its 17th NBA title in six games, with the franchise’s revival meaning even more considering it was the ninth time it earned a championship by beating the Lakers.
The series turned in Game 4, when the Celtics came back from a 24-point deficit to win 97-91 at Staples Center for a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Boston then finished it off in resounding fashion at home, with its 131-92 Game 6 victory the biggest blowout ever in a finals clincher.
“It means everything,” Pierce said at the time. “I’m not living under the shadows of the other greats now. I’m able to make my own history with my time here.”
With both teams cruising in the early going, they could be destined for another meeting in mid-June. The Lakers (23-5), who are 14-1 at home, lead the Western Conference in the standings and the NBA in scoring, averaging 107.0 points.
But Boston has been even more dominant in defense of its title, becoming the first team in NBA history to start 27-2. The Celtics are again among the league’s best defensive teams, holding opponents to a league-low 42.0 percent shooting.
They’ve also been as efficient as ever offensively during their 19-game winning streak, shooting 51.1 percent and averaging 107.0 points - 120.0 in the last three games.
The team surpassed the 1981-82 Celtics’ franchise-best winning streak with Tuesday’s 110-91 win over Philadelphia - with Boston fans chanting “Beat L.A!” during the fourth quarter. If the Celtics do that, they would match the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks for the third-longest run in league history.
“If we can stop their winning streak, that’s a significant thing,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “They’re going to want to say, ‘Hey, we didn’t get stopped by the Lakers.’ So they’ve got a challenge here, too.”
But the Celtics claim not to care about the streak. Coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday, “no one even mentioned it,” and Garnett said even a matchup with the Lakers won’t divert their focus.
“I totally appreciate the whole history of the Lakers and Celtics and the tradition, the players who’ve come through both teams, the foundations of this league,” Garnett said. “But to put all the eggs in one basket on one game, or that we circle it … we circle all the games, and if you’re on the schedule we don’t decline any shows.”
Neither do the Lakers and Jackson, who would become the fastest coach to 1,000 career victories with a win.
Los Angeles opened a recent road trip with back-to-back losses at Miami and Orlando, but it salvaged a split of the four-game swing, and Tuesday’s 100-87 victory at New Orleans should provide plenty of momentum.
The Lakers were criticized for being unable to keep up with Boston defensively last summer, but they held the Hornets to 41.6 percent shooting.
The Celtics will also have to contend with a weapon that the Lakers didn’t have for the finals, as center Andrew Bynum is back from a knee injury and averaging 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds.
Bynum did play in both of the teams’ regular-season meetings in 2007-08, which Boston swept - including a 110-91 road win last Dec. 30.
Pierce, who grew up in Los Angeles rooting for the Lakers, had 33 points in that game, then was the finals MVP after averaging 21.8 points and 6.3 assists in the series.
LA Lakers 23-5 (Home: 14-1)
It turns out the NBA’s most storied rivalry didn’t die - it was just dormant for the better part of two decades.
Not anymore.
When the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics meet at Staples Center on Thursday for the first time since last season’s NBA finals, both teams will again come in leading their respective conferences, with Boston’s club-record 19-game winning streak adding an extra dimension to a much-anticipated Christmas Day rematch.
“It’s good for the game,” Lakers star Kobe Bryant said. “Growing up in high school, you hear Bulls and Knicks, Lakers-Celtics and all this other stuff. The hype is what creates the atmosphere and the energy for people who watch the game. It’s enjoyable for us to be a part of it. I know if I was coming up in high school, I’d be tuning in, just like everybody else.”
With the Celtics perpetually struggling to rebuild since the days when Larry Bird and the old Big Three would often tangle in the finals with Magic Johnson and the Lakers, Boston was an afterthought for Los Angeles when it returned to prominence with three straight NBA titles from 2000-02.
But the Celtics reloaded before last season, uniting Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen with mainstay Paul Pierce, and the rivalry reignited. Both teams earned top seeds for the playoffs and eventually met in the NBA finals for the first time since 1987 and 11th time overall.
Boston captured its 17th NBA title in six games, with the franchise’s revival meaning even more considering it was the ninth time it earned a championship by beating the Lakers.
The series turned in Game 4, when the Celtics came back from a 24-point deficit to win 97-91 at Staples Center for a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Boston then finished it off in resounding fashion at home, with its 131-92 Game 6 victory the biggest blowout ever in a finals clincher.
“It means everything,” Pierce said at the time. “I’m not living under the shadows of the other greats now. I’m able to make my own history with my time here.”
With both teams cruising in the early going, they could be destined for another meeting in mid-June. The Lakers (23-5), who are 14-1 at home, lead the Western Conference in the standings and the NBA in scoring, averaging 107.0 points.
But Boston has been even more dominant in defense of its title, becoming the first team in NBA history to start 27-2. The Celtics are again among the league’s best defensive teams, holding opponents to a league-low 42.0 percent shooting.
They’ve also been as efficient as ever offensively during their 19-game winning streak, shooting 51.1 percent and averaging 107.0 points - 120.0 in the last three games.
The team surpassed the 1981-82 Celtics’ franchise-best winning streak with Tuesday’s 110-91 win over Philadelphia - with Boston fans chanting “Beat L.A!” during the fourth quarter. If the Celtics do that, they would match the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks for the third-longest run in league history.
“If we can stop their winning streak, that’s a significant thing,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “They’re going to want to say, ‘Hey, we didn’t get stopped by the Lakers.’ So they’ve got a challenge here, too.”
But the Celtics claim not to care about the streak. Coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday, “no one even mentioned it,” and Garnett said even a matchup with the Lakers won’t divert their focus.
“I totally appreciate the whole history of the Lakers and Celtics and the tradition, the players who’ve come through both teams, the foundations of this league,” Garnett said. “But to put all the eggs in one basket on one game, or that we circle it … we circle all the games, and if you’re on the schedule we don’t decline any shows.”
Neither do the Lakers and Jackson, who would become the fastest coach to 1,000 career victories with a win.
Los Angeles opened a recent road trip with back-to-back losses at Miami and Orlando, but it salvaged a split of the four-game swing, and Tuesday’s 100-87 victory at New Orleans should provide plenty of momentum.
The Lakers were criticized for being unable to keep up with Boston defensively last summer, but they held the Hornets to 41.6 percent shooting.
The Celtics will also have to contend with a weapon that the Lakers didn’t have for the finals, as center Andrew Bynum is back from a knee injury and averaging 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds.
Bynum did play in both of the teams’ regular-season meetings in 2007-08, which Boston swept - including a 110-91 road win last Dec. 30.
Pierce, who grew up in Los Angeles rooting for the Lakers, had 33 points in that game, then was the finals MVP after averaging 21.8 points and 6.3 assists in the series.
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