Lakers-Celtics: Key storylines for possible NBA Finals preview

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The Boston Celtics are hosting their archenemies from Los Angeles, the Lakers, on Saturday night on national television.

With the two No. 2 seeds in their respective conferences meeting, it’s almost like it’s good planning!

In all seriousness, this game didn’t necessarily look all that fun a few months ago when the Lakers were just decent, but now they are rising and looking like a juggernaut.

There is also payback on the mind of the Celtics, who were fully healthy yet routed by the Lakers 117-96 on Jan. 23 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That team, of course, still featured Anthony Davis, who famously isn’t around anymore.

The Lakers would like nothing more than to add one more title to match the Celtics’ all-time mark of 18, but that appears to be easier said than done. The Lakers are still fairly long shots to win it all at BetMGM with the fourth-best odds at +1000, with the Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder listed as co-favorites at +225, but would it surprise anyone to see L.A. and Boston face off in the Finals?

Let’s look at some of the key storylines for Saturday night’s showdown (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

LeBron James dribbles away from Jayson Tatum during a 117-96 Lakers win at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

LeBron’s big adjustment

After the acquisition of Luka Dončić — oh yeah, that wasn’t a fever dream, that actually happened — head coach JJ Redick has found some fun ways to utilize LeBron James, in particular as a 6-foot-9, 250-pound off-ball threat who can cut, jump and generally move into scoring positions with Dončić as the primary playmaker.

James, averaging 29.4 points and 10.5 rebounds over his past eight games, is seeing his shots come more easily than before, and his efficienct 53.8% shooting during that time is proof of concept.

In many ways, James has morphed into the power forward he’s always looked like physically, without relinquishing the other areas of his skill set.

What about Laker Dončić?

As for Dončić, he’s getting back into the swing of things. The 26-year-old is not only coming to terms with the surprise trade from Dallas,…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/lakers-celtics-key-storylines-for-possible-nba-finals-preview-234843667.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-03-07 23:48:00

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