Finals preview? Celtics-Lakers clash has chance to reignite rivalry

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Finals preview? Celtics-Lakers clash has chance to reignite rivalry originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jayson Tatum is already steeped in the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. And if he needed even a small reminder of the genuine bitterness that existed between these two teams, then he got it at the premiere of HBO’s “Celtics City” docuseries in Boston last month.

In the opening scene of Episode 5, which centers on the clothesline-filled, mid-80s heyday of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, James Worthy appears on the screen and, still dripping with obvious disdain after four decades, snaps, “F— Boston.”

The rivalry will forever exist, particularly given the title counts of each team and the many times they’ve crossed paths in the quest to accumulate more Larry O’Brien trophies. But it would be fair to say that the bitterness that once existed has largely dissipated since the 2010 Finals.

For the past 15 years, these two teams really haven’t factored into each other’s quest to be the winningest franchise in NBA history.

That could all change Saturday.

After Thursday night’s win over the lowly Sixers — another familiar foe that has likewise lost its rivalry sizzle — Tatum was asked about Saturday’s visit from the Lakers.

“From my time in the league, I wouldn’t look at the Lakers as rivals,” Tatum told reporters, while acknowledging the history of the matchup.

To his point, when the Celtics visited Los Angeles just 43 days ago, the rivalry was basically on fumes. Boston limped in on the second night of a back-to-back while playing its third game in four nights to start a West Coast trip, and ate a 21-point defeat that the team basically shrugged off.

The schedule makers are not doing either team any favors Saturday night. Boston is yet again playing its third game in four nights — though it was able to rest key players at various times this week — while the Lakers are traveling cross-country Friday after an overtime win over the Knicks on Thursday night.

Still, Saturday feels different.

Prices to get into the Garden are already outrageous. There’s a genuine buzz around Celtics-Lakers for the…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/finals-preview-celtics-lakers-clash-115750745.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2025-03-07 11:57:00

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