Lakers at Celtics
One of the more notable stops on Kobe Bryant's farewell tour occurs Wednesday, when he makes his final visit to Boston to lead the Los Angeles Lakers into a matchup with the rival Celtics. Bryant has had many memorable meetings with Boston, including two encounters in the NBA Finals, losing in 2008 before exacting revenge in a seven-game series in 2010.
"I'm bringing my family down, because my kids have never been to Boston," Bryant told reporters following Monday's loss in Charlotte. "I'm looking forward to them getting a chance to see the city a little bit. And then just experience the green. It's just a different green. I want them to be able to see that." The future Hall of Famer has been bothered by knee pain of late but did manage 20 points in the loss to the Hornets, the fourth in a row for Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Celtics have won a season-high four straight after topping New York 100-91 on Sunday and have moved five games over .500 for the first time since March 2013. Isaiah Thomas, who was raised a Bryant fan after his father grew up steps from the old Forum in Los Angeles, had 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Boston.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (5-27): Bryant was 5-of-20 from the floor at Charlotte and is shooting 32.8 percent during the four-game winning streak, as the worst-shooting team in the league has averaged 90.8 points. One encouraging sign for the Lakers of late has been the play of rookie Larry Nance Jr., who is averaging 14.5 points on 73.7 percent shooting and nine rebounds in his last two games. After leaving Boston, the Lakers play 13 of their next 18 games at home.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (18-13): Boston has limited each of its opponents during the winning streak to fewer than 100 points and it entered Tuesday's action tied for fifth in the league in opponents' field-goal percentage (43.1). The squad's defensive prowess should only increase with the return of guard Marcus Smart, who had six points Sunday in his first game since Nov. 20. Jae Crowder, another solid defender who will mark Bryant from time to time, is averaging 16.1 points in December.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Boston ranks fifth in the NBA in assists per game (24.1), while Los Angeles is 27th (18.4).
2. Celtics PF David Lee has missed the last two games with back spasms but practiced Tuesday.
3. Bryant, who had a team-high 22 points in his previous visit to TD Garden, has produced an average of 25.1 points in 29 career games against the Celtics.