Thursday, May 17th, 2012
The Boston Celtics will return to Staples Center with bad memories of a game 7 NBA finals loss last year when they take on Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers in an NBA pro basketball game on Sunday afternoon.
Tip off time from Los Angeles is scheduled for 3:30PM Eastern Time with national television coverage provided by ABC.
The betting odds opened up in this NBA game with the home team LA Lakers favored by -2 ½ points with an over under of 186 points.
Early money from the NBA wagering public has been home team money as the LA Lakers have been bet up to a -3 point favorite.
LA Lakers money line supporters will lay -140 odds with the road underdog Boston Celtics bringing back +120 odds to earn the outright upset win without the benefit of getting the points on their side.
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In the NBA World championship series last season the Boston Celtics held a 3-2 series lead in the best of 7 series with the scene moving back to Los Angeles. In game six it was the LA Lakers with the 89-67 home victory as a -6 point home favorite.
In the series deciding game 7 it was the LA Lakers with the 83-79 victory as a -6 ½ point favorite to earn the world title.
The Celtics shot poorly in game 6 hitting 33.% from the field and in game 7 it was even worse at 32.5%.
The difference was the play on the boards as LA held a +10 rebounding edge in game 6 and an incredible +20 rebounding edge in the finale.
The Celtics made a significant signing in the off season adding free agent Shaquille O’Neal to the team to help out defense and rebounding. It is worth noting the Celtics were without Kendrick Perkins in game 7 as he missed the game due to injury.
The Boston Celtics enters play with a record of 35-11 on the season. The Celtics on the road are 13-8 straight up.
Boston is the top shooting team in the NBA with a 49.9% field goal percentage. They rank 16th in the league in scoring averaging just under 99 points per game.
The club enters Staples Center winners of 7 of their past 9 games with both losses coming on the back end of back to backs. Boston plays this game with a days rest.
The Celtics are coming off an 88-71 defeat at the Phoenix Suns on Friday night as a -4 ½ point road favorite. It was the back end of a back to back as the team won at Portland by 10 points on Thursday night.
Veteran Paul Pierce is the teams leading scorer averaging 18.9 points per game on the season. Ray Allen is second on the team with 17 points per game.
Point guard Rajon Rhondo has given the Lakers fits and averages 12 ½ assists per game this season.
Center Kendrick Perkins has returned to the team from injury and in just three games this season he has averaged 6.3 rebounds and over 6 points per game in just over 19 minutes per game.
Boston continues to be a solid defensive club as they sit second in the league by allowing 91.5 points per game and sit third in defensive field goal percentage by allowing their opponents 43.8% shooting.
The LA Lakers host this Sunday afternoon contest with a mark of 33-14. The club is seventh in the league in scoring by averaging 103.6 points per game and at 47.1% shooting sits third in the league.
LA is led this season by Kobe Bryant who averages 25.1 points per game and is hitting on 46.1% of his shots.
Forward Pau Gasol will have his hands full with the Celtics bulk in the middle. The veteran from Spain has averaged 18.4 points per game and over 10 ½ boards.
Derek Fisher continues to be a liability on the court as the veteran is shooting just 38.9% of his shots this season and is very vulnerable on defense against younger and quicker point guards.
The Lakers sit fourth in the league in defensive field goal percentage allowing 43.9% shooting and are tenth in points allowing by giving up 96.3 points per game.
LA has not looked sharp this season. They have struggled big time against the upper echelon teams in the league. They sit at 18-6 on their home court.
The team is just 3-3 in their past 6 games and are coming off a bad 100-95 home loss to the woeful Sacramento Kings on Friday night as a -12 point favorite.
The team shot just 41.3% from the field in defeat to the Kings and allowed 51.3% shooting.
Kobe Bryant led the club with 38 points and 13 of 27 shooting from the field. Pau Gasol was off his game with just 9 points on 4 of 11 shooting.
Sixth man Lamar Odom struggled mightily as he had an 0-7 shooting night from the field off the bench.
Trend: The Under is 5-0 in their past 5 meetings.
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