Preview: On Lakers-Celtics II with LeBron Wire’s E. Garcia Gunderson

The Boston Celtics visit the Los Angeles Lakers as their rivals seek revenge for their Jan. 20 loss at TD Garden; what’s changed since then?

The Boston Celtics face off against their age-old rival Los Angeles Lakers for a rematch of Boston’s home win in the first of two meetings this season for the legendary antagonists.

The Celtics, of course won the first matchup, but it isn’t often Boston sweeps the regular season even in recent years.

A number of things broke the Celtics way in late January, but the team has also built off of that success, going 11-2 since over one of the tougher stretches of their season and building a legitimate contention resumé as a result.

The Lakers, however, recovered quite well after the loss, and have gone 10-2 for a near-identical record over the same span.

Both teams share a loss to the new-look Houston “Pocket” Rockets since their last encounter, and while the Celtics’ slate of games may have been more challenging, L.A. has a healthier Anthony Davis and home court in their corner this go-round.

What should we expect from these two titans clashing yet again? To get the lowdown on what’s gone on since, we reached out to the managing editor of our sister site, LeBron Wire, E. Garcia Gunderson, to find out.

So, what should we know about the Lake Show since Boston put some respect on their name with the win? We know they added some help via the buyout market, but will it make a difference?

The Lakers made small changes on the periphery over the weekend, though they are not official yet, they do have an impact on what the Lakers will look like beyond Sunday’s game against the Celtics.

News broke on Friday that the Lakers would be waiving injured center DeMarcus Cousins, who tore his ACL in August, in order to make room for recently waived forward Markieff Morris, whom Celtics fans will know well from their playoff battles against the Wizards.

Will Morris be a difference maker for L.A.? And what kind of role do you anticipate him to have with his new team?

How much Morris will help the Lakers remains to be seen, but the fact that he’s healthy means that he can add more value on the court that Cousins.

The calculus, according to at least one report, is that Morris can play more as a power forward while letting Kyle Kuzma get more minutes at the small forward spot. Kuzma is playing a career-high 91% of his minutes at power forward this season according to Cleaning The Glass, but it’s still a question about what his best position is.

While some suggest that Kuzma is a true wing, the Lakers have typically performed better when he plays at the 4, according to Cleaning The Glass. So far this season, the 5% of time he’s seen at small forward has been bad.

However, that’s not to say that Kuzma can’t improve in that role. They will definitely need him to deliver as a more consistent scorer in the playoffs, regardless of whether he plays at the 3 or the 4.

What will need to happen for the Lakers to get their revenge?

For the Lakers to win this game, they simply need a better game from their stars. Anthony Davis took just seven shots in the first match-up and a lot of credit should be given to the Celtics excellent defense. That was also the game after LeBron famously went to see his son’s game in Springfield before taking the 90-minute drive back to Boston, which he acknowledged threw off his routine.

Although the Lakers are in the middle of changes, I expect them to deliver a much stronger performance on Sunday afternoon than the one they gave back in January.

Boston will find themselves without All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, who recently had to have a sore knee drained after post-All-Star Game swelling.

Reserve center Robert Williams III will miss the game for certain, as he is rehabbing a bone bruise in his left hip, though nearing a return around the first of March.

The Lakers are nearly entirely healthy, with only Davis listed among rostered players with an injury, a leg contusion unlikely to prevent him from playing on Sunday.

While it’s very possible the Celtics steal a win from Los Angeles Feb. 23, they will have their work cut out for them with Walker out to rest.

Expect a close game with a playoff feel no matter how the final score unfolds — and for fans of the rivalry itself, be sure not to miss the tilt; it’s the last of the season for the two teams lest they meet in the 2020 NBA Finals.

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