RealGM

Los Angeles Lakers

PG: Steve Nash
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Metta World Peace
PF: Antawn Jamison
C: Earl Clark


Boston Celtics

PG: Avery Bradley
SG: Courtney Lee
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Kevin Garnett


Venue: TD Garden - Boston, MA


If the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for some inspiration to remain positive after losing another key player, all they'll need to do is look across the TD Garden court Thursday night.

Pau Gasol is out indefinitely and Dwight Howard likely will miss a fourth straight game as the Lakers seek a seventh victory in eight tries when they face the surging Boston Celtics, who have won five straight since Rajon Rondo's season-ending injury.

Howard's sore right shoulder resulting from a partially torn labrum has kept him on the sidelines for the team's current three-game winning streak as Los Angeles (23-26) attempts to get into the Western Conference playoff picture.

The Lakers suffered another injury setback, though, as Gasol felt a pop in his right foot during Tuesday's 92-83 win at Brooklyn and was diagnosed with a torn plantar fascia after an MRI in Boston on Wednesday.

Kobe Bryant, who scored 21 points versus the Nets, has been more of a distributor during the team's surge, though he may need to look for his shot more with both big men out. He's averaging 17.4 points and 9.3 assists over the last seven games, compared to 29.2 points and 4.7 assists prior.

Los Angeles is 3-1 on its seven-game road trip that ends at East-leading Miami on Sunday.

Most of my friends go for either Miami or Boston.

So Lakers better win lol... .... ...

GO LAKERS!!!

This is a winnable game!!!!!

Dwight not playing for sure? Haven't seen any news yet, hope he plays...

not sure if we can possibly win

we did you a favor by beating houston rockets.Its time you return us the favor, and beat the celtics.
For once I hope ur useful..

This is a winnable game but I won't be surprised if we lose. They have a lot of players who can cover Kobe so others need to step up specially Nash. If only Dwight can play. Or even Gasol.

krikor wrote:we did you a favor by beating houston rockets.Its time you return us the favor, and beat the celtics.
For once I hope ur useful..

who is we?

^ miami heat, who else? listen krikor, you guys were playin' w/out rupaul, we'll be playin' without our ENTIRE frontcourt. dwight man, it's really time to put your big boy pants on. step up and be at least defensive anchor against kg. i really love earl clark but i'm not sure he's capable of playing center

we're might just keep boston in 8th seed for the lulz

(by winning of course)

I hope Earl Clark has a HUGE game and shows Boston why our future looks so much brighter than theirs! Here's to a fourth straight!

krikor wrote:we did you a favor by beating houston rockets.Its time you return us the favor, and beat the celtics.
For once I hope ur useful..

Are Heat fans really concerned about facing the Celtics in the 1st round?

Pussies.

this is a winnable game...which is exactly why the lakers will play like , well, the lakers...i just donno if that's a good or bad thing yet....but atleast they're just as banged up as us...but i do see earl,kobe, and nash having GREAT games tonight....not that it will necessarily mean a win though...and i donno i kinda like this team without dwight...it just seems like the players are drama free and aren't babying anyone on the court, everything has just been soo freeflowing....but dwight does make us much better on def....our offense just looks much more fluid without dwight...and isn't it sad that earl's been outrebounding/outhustling dwight....

therobg125 wrote:this is a winnable game...which is exactly why the lakers will play like , well, the lakers...i just donno if that's a good or bad thing yet....but atleast they're just as banged up as us...but i do see earl,kobe, and nash having GREAT games tonight....not that it will necessarily mean a win though...and i donno i kinda like this team without dwight...it just seems like the players are drama free and aren't babying anyone on the court, everything has just been soo freeflowing....but dwight does make us much better on def....our offense just looks much more fluid without dwight...and isn't it sad that earl's been outrebounding/outhustling dwight....

I agree. Earl Clark fits in so much better with the team. I hope we can keep him for cheap after this season. He knows when to exert his alpha seed and when to retract it...and NO DRAMA.

go lakers

"He knows when to exert his alpha seed and when to retract it"


anyone else find this a disturbing image?


No Rondo, no Sullinger vs no Pau and likely no Dwight. Earl v. KG, Metta on Pierce ... it's doable.

Gonna be a knife fight

Definitely winnable. Celtics have some other guys that can do damage besides peirce/kg like green. Nash and kobe need to be very effective on the offensive end. Boston is a top 10 defensive team still....

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710 espn is making it sound as though Howard is gona play tonight, probably begrudgingly since Nash/Kobe take subtle jabs at him bout playing through pain.....

Coming here not to troll or anything.

REALLY wish our two teams were both 100%. This game would be a hell of a lot better.

Should be a good one though.

If all else fails, love watching Peace mixing it up with Pierce