<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%">@</span> February 23, 2007 - 10:30 pm ET</div> <span style="color:#009900">Boston Celtics</span> <span style="color:#000000">(13-40)</span> <span style="color:#000000">PG</span> <span style="color:#009900">Delonte West</span> <span style="color:#000000">SG</span> <span style="color:#009900">Paul Pierce</span> <span style="color:#000000">SF</span> <span style="color:#009900">Ryan Gomes</span> <span style="color:#000000">PF</span> <span style="color:#009900">Brian Scalabrine</span> <span style="color:#000000">C</span> <span style="color:#009900">Al Jefferson</span> <span style="color:#000000">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Rajon Rondo, Gerald Green, Kendrick Perkins, Sebastian Telfair</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Los Angeles Lakers</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">(30-25)</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">PG</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Smush Parker</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SG</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kobe Bryant</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SF</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Lamar Odom</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">PF</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Brian Cook</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">C</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Andrew Bynum</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Maurice Evans, Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic</span> Injury Report <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Wally Szczerbiak will not play (sprained left ankle)</span> <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Tony Allen is out for season (torn ACL/MCL)</span> <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Theo Ratliff is out for season (back surgery).</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Luke Walton will not play (sprained ankle)</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kwame Brown will not play (sprained ankle)</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Vladimir Radmanovic will not play (separated shoulder)</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Chris Mihm is out for season (recovering from ankle surgery)</span> Who To Watch Out For <span style="color:#009900">Paul Pierce</span> <span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 26.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.1 apg</span> <span style="color:#009900">Al Jefferson</span> <span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 14.2 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 1.4 bpg</span> <span style="color:#000000">As A Starter: 15.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 1.5 bpg</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kobe Bryant</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 28.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.5 apg</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Lamar Odom</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 16.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 4.4 apg</span> Rookie Watch <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Rajon Rondo</span> <span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 21</span> <span style="color:#000000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#009900">5.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.4 spg</span> <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Leon Powe</span> <span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 49</span> <span style="color:#000000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#009900">2.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.5 bpg</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Jordan Farmar</span> <span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 26</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">5.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.1 apg</span> <span style="color:#009900">Boston's X-Factor</span> <span style="color:#009900">Doc Rivers</span> <span style="color:#009900">No playing all 3 guards at once. No having Rondo play just 10 minutes. No having Delonte bring up the ball when Bassy and/or Rondo are in with him. No more sitting Gerald Green after he does well. Tell the team to feed Al more. Play Perk more. Play Scal 8 minutes or so less. One more thing: if it's a one possession game with just seconds left in the game, and we have the ball, CALL TIMEOUT!</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">LA's X-Factor</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Brian Cook</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 6.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 apg</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">As A Starter: 10.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.7 apg</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Not only is Luke Walton out, but no Vlade is out. Cook needs to step up his game and play as best as he can. That shot needs to fall.</span> <div align="center">Key Matchup vs. <span style="color:#009900">Paul Pierce</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kobe Bryant</span></div> <span style="color:#000000">Obvious choice. They always have great matchups, ESPECIALLY in LA.</span> CelticBalla's Extra Thoughts/Notes The Truth returning home, you know what that means! (For those of you that don't know... Pierce always has good games in LA). CelticBalla's Prediction We lose again, LA breaks their losing streak.
I'm actually going with Celtics winning this game. I just see us fighting hard and getting a big lead in the 3rd quarter.BTW, CB32, you have Brian Cook in the wrong place in the pictures. You don't have Lamar picture up there actually.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AiRuPtHeRe? @ Feb 23 2007, 12:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I'm actually going with Celtics winning this game. I just see us fighting hard and getting a big lead in the 3rd quarter. BTW, CB32, you have Brian Cook in the wrong place in the pictures. You don't have Lamar picture up there actually.</div> Doh! Thanks man, fixed. Also, are you a new member or did someone get their name changed?
Paul Pierce may get 15,000 career points tonightHe is currently at 14,960 and he averages about 40 everytime he goes out and plays in LA (he was born and raised in Inglewood, California)So maybe he could get his 15,000th point tonight and honor DJ
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (playaofthegame @ Feb 23 2007, 04:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Paul Pierce may get 15,000 career points tonightHe is currently at 14,960 and he averages about 40 everytime he goes out and plays in LA (he was born and raised in Inglewood, California)So maybe he could get his 15,000th point tonight and honor DJ</div>That would be so good to see that happen. But I don't see Pierce scoring 40 points tonight.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (High54Life @ Feb 23 2007, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Watch out for 3s from Vald, and message to Doc: start Gerald.</div>I don't see Green starting unless they take Scally out of the lineup, move Gomes there and put Green at the 3 spot.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AiRuPtHeRe? @ Feb 23 2007, 04:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>That would be so good to see that happen. But I don't see Pierce scoring 40 points tonight.</div>Why not? He's scored like 30 the past few games
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (High54Life @ Feb 23 2007, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Watch out for 3s from Vald, and message to Doc: start Gerald.</div> Radmanovic is out, and Gerald will not start.
I seriously cannot see the Lakers losing tonight. 6 straight losses....Phil Jackson going crazy during practice yesterday....Kobe motivated more than ever...I just can't see anything but a Laker win tonight. Paul Pierce will undoubtedly be hot tonight, considering he's coming back to his hometown of Los Angeles, but I strongly believe that the Lakers will leave Staples Center tonight with a win.
Kobe cannot stop.20 points, 8/11 from the field and there is 2 minutes left in the first quarter.SHAMMOND! He is actually shooting decisively and making his shots. I LOVE it.
I used to LOVE Shammond when he was on the Celts...Al played great in the first quarter, he's going to need to keep it up, if they wanna keep pace with Kobe tonight.Kobe has accounted for 28 of the Lakers 36 points (22 pts, 3 asissts), someone stop the guy, please.
