The Boston Celtics visit the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers. The game gets underway at 9:30 pm ET on Sunday, Apr. 3 and will air on CNE and TWC.
The Lakers come into this game on a high note after edging the Heat 102-100 on Wednesday. Jordan Clarkson led all scorers on the team with 26 points on 9-for-19 shooting. The Celtics, meanwhile, are coming off a 109-106 win over the Warriors on Friday. Jared Sullinger claimed his 25th double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Lakers might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the league’s best defenses. The Celtics rank fifth in the NBA in defensive efficiency, while Los Angeles ranks 29th in offensive efficiency.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first matchup 112-104. Lou Williams had a stellar game with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one three-pointer.
The Lakers come into this game 16-59 Straight Up (SU) and 34-41 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 16-59 SU and 34-41 ATS against the Eastern Conference. Boston has a habit of getting in foul trouble (22.4 fouls per game), so expect the Lakers to get a number of opportunities from the free throw line.
Over on the other bench, the Celtics have 44-32 SU and 39-35-2 ATS records. Most recently, Boston is a meager 2-8 ATS over the last 10 games. Offensively, they average 105.6 points per game, which is good for fifth in the league. Boston is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the league, making .788 of their shots from the line. Boston’s defense is one of the top in the league, with opponents shooting only .439 from the field. Boston is the fifth-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.6 per game.
Los Angeles won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bringing its SU record to 8-2 over the Celtics in the last 10 games. The Lakers also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos
Notes
The Boston Celtics average 105.6 points per game (ranked fifth), while the Los Angeles Lakers give up a whopping 106.9 points (ranked 27th).
Los Angeles ranks 21st in points allowed per home game (103.4 PPG), while Boston ranks fifth in points per away game with 105.3.
In contests where it has given up fewer than 100 points, Los Angeles has a 9-8 record. When Boston scores fewer than 100, it is a subpar 6-15.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Lakers are just 7-51 this season. Boston is a winning 38-17 when it hits the century mark.
The Celtics have a defensive rating of 101.4 (ranked fifth), while the Lakers have an offensive rating of 99.7 (ranked 29th).
With 98.0 possessions and .997 points per possession, the Los Angeles Lakers perform worse on both metrics than the Boston Celtics. Boston averages 101.5 possessions and 1.041 points per possession.
Los Angeles has an average effective field goal percentage of 46.2%. Boston is a poor 18-28 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Boston Celtics make 24.1 assists per game and the Los Angeles Lakers make 18.1. Boston is ranked sixth, while Los Angeles is ranked 30th.
The Los Angeles Lakers average 4.2 blocks per game for a rank of 23rd. The Boston Celtics rank lower (24th), earning 4.2 blocks each game.
The Los Angeles Lakers rank 12th in offensive rebounding, while the Boston Celtics rank 15th in defensive rebounding.
Boston averages 9.3 steals per game, ranking second in the league. Los Angeles is a subpar 2-20 when it allows at least 9 steals.
