LA Clippers vs Boston Celtics prediction and combined starting 5 featuring Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum - March 2nd, 2021
Following valuable wins over the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards, the Boston Celtics will welcome the LA Clippers to TD Garden on Tuesday night. The last time these two sides met, the Celtics left LA with a four-point victory, though the Clippers were without All-Star guard Paul George.
Paul George and the entire LA Clippers squad had a poor 4th quarter on Sunday afternoon as they surrendered defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite that, the Clippers still rank third in the West and boast the league's second-most potent offense.
This will prove to be the biggest problem for the Boston Celtics, whose usually astute defense has suffered in the absence of leader Marcus Smart. The Celtics have won 4 of their past 10 matchups and are now among 7 Eastern Conference sides that have lost 17 games already this season.
LA Clippers vs Boston Celtics prediction - March 2nd, 2021
Recently replacing Kevin Durant as an All-Star starter, Jayson Tatum has consistently shown his worth this season.
Sunday night's win against the Washington Wizards was yet another display of the young forward's wealth of clutch-plays as he hit two late shots to sink his opponents.
Kemba Walker recently stepped up his performances to help the Boston Celtics' two scorers, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, though the franchise still need protection in the paint.
The Celtics' GM Danny Ainge has a $28.5m player exception to utilize, which means we could see the likes of Andre Drummond or Nikola Vucevic arriving in Boston before the trade deadline.
It is partly for that reason, as well as a home-court advantage, that the LA Clippers should win on Tuesday night.
Serge Ibaka and Nicolas Batum have been vital pick-ups for the Clippers. Ibaka grabbed 11 boards and scored 15 points against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
Boston Celtics vs LA Clippers combined starting 5 - March 2nd, 2021
If the LA Clippers and Boston Celtics were to put together a starting five, it would be extremely effective on both ends of the floor.
We begin with the All-Star pairing of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard from the LA Clippers.
Leonard has been prolific from the field this season, averaging a career-high 51.1 field goal percentage and scoring 26.8 points a night.
George has also been putting up personal best numbers from the three-point line. The All-Star reserve is shooting at an impressive 45.9% from downtown and has drastically improved his distribution, dishing out 5.5 dimes per matchup.
It is clear how important Leonard and George are to the LA Clippers. On Thursday night, the two players were only able to combine for 30 points, and the Clippers fell 122-94 to the Memphis Grizzlies.
From the Boston Celtics, we have offensive carriers in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Both players were also selected to represent the franchise in this year's All-Star game, with Brown continuing his fine form from last season's bubble to earn his first call-up.
With the Boston Celtics lacking in scoring depth, Brown and Tatum have often had to lead their franchise to win games, with both players averaging 25 points (Tatum 25.2). Brown increased his output by five points a night from last year and is averaging a career-high 4 assists.
The 5th-year guard is shooting at close to 50% from the field, with the Boston Celtics enjoying a +6 net rating when he is on the court. Despite his abilities, it must be said that the shooting guard is currently listed as questionable for the LA Clippers matchup.
Tatum, on the other hand, is healthy and racked up 31 points and 8 rebounds in his teammates' absence on Sunday. Tatum, in his 4th year with the Boston Celtics, is also averaging career-high points and assists while also grabbing 7 boards a night.
At five in this combined starting lineup would be the LA Clippers' Serge Ibaka. In terms of options, the Boston Celtics' Daniel Theis is averaging less output on more minutes than the Clippers big man.
Ibaka was brought in from the Toronto Raptors to provide experience in the paint for the LA Clippers and to be an improved rotation partner for the young Ivica Zubac.
Ibaka understands his role with the LA Clippers. He is only averaging 24 minutes but is providing an efficient 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds a night. Come the postseason, Ibaka's championship experience will prove vital, particularly with his rim protection expertise.