Here are five things to watch out for when the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers meet at 7:30 p.m. tonight at TD Garden.
Events oftentimes take an interesting turn when the phrase “the last time” is attached. Tonight, such will be the case with Kobe Bryant, as he will play on the famed parquet floor for the 23rd and final time in his NBA career.
Bryant has admitted that this game is special to him. It’s so special, in fact, that he flew his wife and kids into town to be in attendance for it. He said he wants his kids to “experience the green.”
Although Bryant has struggled mightily this season, averaging just 17.6 points per game on just 34.3 percent shooting, it wouldn’t be a shocker if he put forth a throwback performance tonight. Bryant has scored at least 20 points during all but four of his appearances at TD Garden during his career, including a 22-point performance last season. He loves playing in this building, and with this particular game holding so much meaning to him, tonight may be the night that we see the old Kobe (no pun intended) return for 30-plus minutes.
The Celtics will be as fresh tonight as they have been in a long time. They haven’t played since Sunday’s win over New York and are in the midst of a three-game homestand.
Although the team practiced on Tuesday, it has had a relatively light schedule over the past week. Tonight’s contest will mark only its third over the past seven days, and it practiced only once during that stretch. The Celtics should feel fresh, and after Tuesday’s practice, they should feel sharp as well.
Bryant thinks this game is a big deal, and so does the ticket marketplace.
Tickets for tonight’s game have skyrocketed in price since Bryant announced on Nov. 29 that this will be his final season. Demand is comparable to a late-round playoff game in Boston (think Conference Finals and Finals), according to the team’s ticketing group.
With that information in mind, there is no doubt that the Garden will be rocking tonight. These fans want to see Bryant’s final game in Boston, and they want to see his final game end in a loss for the Lakers. They’ll cheer and jeer Bryant as he says goodbye to the parquet, all while rooting their C’s on to the final buzzer.
One thing is for sure: the demand for tickets to tonight’s game is as high as it is solely because this is Bryant’s last game in Boston. Otherwise, this game would likely have half the demand or less, and it’s not because of the level of play of the home team.
Boston is playing great basketball and has rocketed to within 3.5 games of first place in the Eastern Conference. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has become one of the laughing stocks of the league.
The Lakers are in the midst of their second consecutive embarrassing season. A season ago, they finished with the fourth-worst record in the league at 21-61. So far this season, they have the second-worst record in the league at 5-27 and are on pace for 12 or 13 victories on the season.
Los Angeles enters tonight’s game with the league’s worst field goal percentage (41.2 percent) and second-worst scoring average (96.3 points per game). It is also allowing the most points (107.3 PPG) and owns the third-worst opponent field goal percentage (46.6 percent).
Needless to say, there isn’t much Showtime attached to the gold and purple nowadays.
Everyone wants to head into the New Year on a high note, but no Celtic may want to do so more than Jared Sullinger.
Sullinger is in the midst of what might be the worst shooting stretch of his four-year career. He is coming off of a 1-for-9 performance Sunday night against New York and has shot just 35.1 percent from the field and 11.1 percent from 3-point range during the month of December.
There was a point during Sunday’s game in which Sullinger fired up an airball on a 3-pointer from the left wing and dropped his shoulders and head as he walked toward the other end of the court. His body language expressed a lack of confidence. Avery Bradley walked up to his side to give him positive reinforcement, but it did not help to improve Sully’s shooting over the remainder of the night.
The big man needs a breakout night, and he needs it badly. Putting together a strong shooting performance during his final game of 2015 would be a heck of a mental boost for Sullinger as he heads into the New Year.
