Celtics at Lakers
The Boston Celtics look to follow up a signature win against the NBA's top team with a successful visit to one of its worst when it takes on the rival Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The Celtics, who clinch a playoff spot with a victory, became the first team since Jan. 27, 2015 to win at Golden State when they outlasted the Warriors 109-106 on Friday night.
It snapped Golden State's 54-game home winning streak, gave Boston a 2-2 mark on its current five-game road trip and signaled to many that Brad Stevens' team is as tough-minded as any other. "We know we can beat the best teams in the league," guard Isaiah Thomas told reporters after his 15th straight 20-point game. "In our schedule, we beat a lot of the top teams. And we know we can compete. And we know we’re a team that guys don’t really want to play when it comes to the playoffs, just because of how we play and how hard we play." Sunday marks Los Angeles great Kobe Bryant's final game against the Celtics, whom he met twice in the NBA Finals and several other times in hotly contested regular-season affairs. The future Hall of Famer played just nine minutes due to general soreness in a 102-100 overtime win against Miami - one of three teams the Celtics are fighting for third place in the Eastern Conference - on Wednesday.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, CSN New England (Boston), TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE CELTICS (44-32): Forward Jae Crowder was rested Friday night as he works his way back slowly from a high ankle sprain, but deemed himself good to go for Sunday. Even without his solid defense along the front line, Boston forced Golden State into 22 turnovers and also gained a 57-48 advantage on the glass. Thomas has led the team in scoring in each of those 15 straight 20-point efforts, the longest such streak in franchise history.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (16-59): Wednesday's win on a late Julius Randle basket, followed by three days off, gave Los Angeles a much-needed break from the constant losing and recent off-court controversies. "I felt like we had a whole bunch of motivation to pull one out," guard D'Angelo Russell - who was the central figure in the leaking of a controversial video involving teammate Nick Young - told the media following a 16-point effort. "It was tough to a certain extent, but we've got a guy like Kobe that's been through everything, and he was like, 'You've got to just play. You've got to just play.' I just ran with it." Randle finished March with nine double-doubles and Jordan Clarkson capped the month with 26 points, his best total since Feb. 24.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Clarkson had 24 points and Bryant recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds in a 112-104 win at Boston on Dec. 30.
2. Celtics SG Evan Turner, whose scoring average is 10.4, has reached at least 12 points in seven of the last eight games.
3. The Lakers have won four straight encounters against Boston at home.