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HANG TIME NEW JERSEY – The craziest thing about the Los Angeles Lakers’ struggles this season is that the Boston Celtics have been dealing with very similar issues. The two franchises with the most NBA championships have been this season’s two most disappointing teams.
At this point in the season, both the Celtics and Lakers are going through what may be the most adversity they’ve faced yet. Boston has lost Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger for the season. L.A. has been without Dwight Howard for the last three games and just lost Pau Gasol for an extended period with a torn plantar fascia.
Yet, both teams are playing their best basketball of the season. The Celtics have gone 5-0 without their point guard, while the Lakers have won six of their last seven.
So it’s a great time for these two teams to meet tonight (8 ET, TNT) for the first time. The Lakers, still three games out of a playoff spot, have more on the line. But the Celtics can move up a spot to seventh (avoiding the Heat in the first round would probably be a good thing) in the Eastern Conference standings and surely would love to knock off their cross-country rivals.
When these two teams met in Boston two seasons ago on TNT, Ray Allen made history by passing Reggie Miller for the most 3-pointers in NBA history. And on Thursday, we’re going to see another milestone for a man in green.
Kevin Garnett is six points away from being the 16th player in league history to score 25,000 career points. Garnett’s scoring average has dipped quite a bit over the last five years, but he still ranks second on the all-time list among active players.
Most career points, active players
| Rank | Player | G | PTS | PPG |
| 5 | Kobe Bryant | 1,210 | 30,834 | 25.5 |
| 16 | Kevin Garnett | 1,303 | 24,994 | 19.2 |
| 18 | Dirk Nowitzki | 1,075 | 24,427 | 22.7 |
| 21 | Paul Pierce | 1,073 | 23,479 | 21.9 |
| 22 | Ray Allen | 1,193 | 23,424 | 19.6 |
| 24 | Tim Duncan | 1,154 | 23,300 | 20.2 |
| 30 | Vince Carter | 1,034 | 21,750 | 21.0 |
| 37 | LeBron James | 735 | 20,279 | 27.6 |
| 42 | Antawn Jamison | 1,028 | 19,590 | 19.1 |
| 71 | Jason Kidd | 1,357 | 17,385 | 12.8 |
The 10 guys listed above have all scored in different ways. Garnett has been Mr. Mid-range, attempting 52 percent of his shots from between the paint and the 3-point line, the highest rate of the group.
Garnett has never been a traditional big man and has always attempted about half of his shots from mid-range. But over the last two seasons (strangely coinciding with his move from power forward to center), that number has been at 58 percent.
Of the group above, only Antawn Jamison has had a higher percentage of his shots assisted. Since the 1996-97 season (his second year), Garnett has been assisted on more than 68 percent of his buckets, by 101 different teammates.
Most assists to Garnett since 1996-97
| Player | FGM |
| Rajon Rondo | 878 |
| Terrell Brandon | 485 |
| Paul Pierce | 454 |
| Sam Cassell | 372 |
| Wally Szczerbiak | 370 |
Among the players with exactly one assist to Garnett are former Celtics Rasheed Wallace and Brian Scalabrine. TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal had exactly four assists to KG.
Because he spent 12 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett has scored his most points against Western Conference opponents. The Lakers are currently fifth on the list, but could be third by the end of the night.
Kevin Garnett, most points by opponent
| Opponent | GP | PTS | PPG |
| Sacramento | 57 | 1,184 | 20.8 |
| Golden State | 55 | 1,137 | 20.7 |
| L.A. Clippers | 55 | 1,088 | 19.8 |
| Houston | 54 | 1,073 | 19.9 |
| L.A. Lakers | 55 | 1,072 | 19.5 |
These Commentators kill me, they just hate going against the Lakers, LA is going to get pounded inside tonight without Pau or Howard, Metta will be fighting by the third quarter and Nash is going to be worn out from chasing Boston’s fresh young guards around, they better hope Kobe is on tonight or it will be a Beantown Blowout…
I Love it cause it’s always great to watch these 2 teams go at it, 2 great dynasties with more than just great players, legends, championships and Hall of Fame; they make you feel the Game, the Love, the Thrill, the Pride and every second on that clock your heart is pounding like the ball…..Lakers all day everyday
They should join forces and try to win a title. Let one team rebuild with young players for the future and one team with all the veteran stars for the win now. It would be great to see.
no
yes
Lets go celtics!!!
No matter what the Fakers always beat us by a point at home. Refs will miss a couple key calls and we will get bent over like always. Bet against the Celts now cuz the NBA wont let us win tonite.
Wtf are you talking about? You sound like you depend on the NBA to win a game for you and not your skills as a team. Stop crying so much. You Celtic fans are beyond dilusional. And whats the point to this “Faker” diss? The only reason why you haters use it is because it ryhmes with Lakers. Nothing about this franchise is fake, so that diss makes no sense, its corny anyway lol. Awwww… Celtic fans are scared for tonight. Welp… Thats what happens everytime Purple and Goild steps into the Garden haha
Why, aren’t the Celtics still beating Lakers int he championship count…?
Scared of a team that is out of the playoffs! yeah…ok! the games that the lakers (barely won), is nothing to be excited about.
Let’s go lakers! As long as kobe is on the team there’s always a chance of winning
Every one is very concerned about Celtics and Lakers health, this season and future. I will propose a trade: Pierce and Garnett to Lakers and Howard to the Celtics… If they want to get more creative Lakers can send Metta World and gasol to the Spurs for Gasol…
Sorry i meant Duncan…
Lets go Lakers!!!! But i still have respect for the celtics because they have been rivals since way back in the days.
Its normal big teams to dip but they always find a way back up. Its been proven through the years
Let’s go HEAT!!!
Huge win for my Celts, showing lakers no mercy! Keep it going!
CELTICS-HORAAH-CELTICS-HORAAH-CELTICS-HORAAH-1,2,3 UBUNTU!!!
its look like the team of minnesota timberwolf do not like JJ Barea is sad but this is NBA
I think is because Rubio is now healthy and u can have 3 guards rubio ridnaour and barea let see.