The Boston Celtics are making sure that lightning will not strike twice as they gear up for their much-awaited rematch with arch rivals Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday (Friday morning, Manila time) at their den, the TD Banknorth Garden.
Before meeting KB24 and the LA boys, the Beantown outfit guns for their 12th straight win as they visit the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night. There are some apprehension going into the big game against the Lakers. During their first meeting last December 25, the Celtics went into the Staples Center riding high on a franchise-best 19 straight wins but alas, they were beaten by the Tinseltown squad, 92-83. Before that Christmas day game, their last opponent were the 76ers too. That painful loss to the Lakers triggered an unexpected Celtic slump wherein they lost seven of their next nine games. A Celtic diehard will truly feel eerie given those circumstances. But aside from their current winning streak and league-leading 40-9 win-loss card, the Celtics will enter the game as heavy favorites to even up their season series with the Lakers. For one, starting center Andrew Bynum will not see action with the Lakers due to injury and most importantly, the game will be played in their home turf.
Celtic coach Doc Rivers feels some relief with Bynum’s absence come game time. “He makes you change the shot,” Rivers said. “We had three or four of them where we double-clutched for no reason – other than the fact that in the left of your eye he was coming. Size makes you miss layups.”
With or without Bynum, expect another humdinger of a ballgame between two of the league’s most storied franchises and all roads lead to Boston as this could be the preview of another titanic final series come June.
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