LOS ANGELESThe Boston Celtics have had their issues with fourth quarter execution at times this season.
That was indeed the case in Sunday's 97-94 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, a game in which the Celtics were outscored 8-0 over the final 2:41 of play.
"We got great shots," said C's coach Doc Rivers. "It's a make-miss league. We didn't make and they did."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
That inability to knock down big shots against the Lakers spoiled what would have been one of the better wins this season for the Celtics (21-19).
Boston's Rajon Rondo, who had a team-high 24 points to go with 10 assists, echoed Rivers' sentiments about the team's play down the stretch.
"They made shots down the stretch and we didn't," Rondo said.
But Boston's problems down the stretch had more to do with than just missing shots.
"The problem was we couldn't getany stops," said Paul Pierce. "Kobe made a couple of tough shots. And they went down to (Andrew) Bynum and (Pau) Gasol."
The Lakers twin tower tandem each had a double-double with Bynum tallying 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Gasol chipped in with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Fourth quarter execution was indeed a major factor in the game's outcome, but it wasn't the only one. Here are a few we identified prior to the game, and how they actually factored into the game's outcome.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Both teams have had their problems scoring, and today's game should not be any different. The Lakers come into the game ranked 19th in scoring, at 94.2 per game. Meanwhile, the Celtics are bottom-five in the NBA with a 90.8 points per game scoring average that ranks No. 26. With both teams also ranked among the top six in scoring defense, look for a repeat of their Feb. 9 game at the Garden which ended with a low scoring affair that was eventually won by the Lakers, 88-87.
WHAT WE SAW: Scoring was a bit up for both teams, primarily because both shot a fairly high percentage from the field. Boston connected on 47 percent of its shots, while the Lakers were successful on 50.7 percent of its shot attempts.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Brandon Bass vs. Pau Gasol: Gasol's length and craftiness around the basket should make this a favorable matchup for the Lakers, but Bass has continually proven to play bigger than his undersized, 6-foot-8 frame. As much as the Celtics will need him to provide rebounding and solid play defensively, they will also need him to do what he does best and that's score. In their first matchup on Feb. 9, Bass had eight points. He came into that game having reached double figures scoring in 10 of the previous 11 games. And when you consider it was a one-point loss for the C's, that one more made basket is huge.
WHAT WE SAW: Bass didn't get off to the greatest of starts, but seemed to find a good flow through the final three quarters and finished with a respectable 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting. Although he did at times have trouble keeping Gasol off the boards, for the most part Bass did a decent job of holding his own as Gasol had 13 points and 13 rebounds.
PLAYER TO WATCH: With Chris Wilcox out for additional tests on his heart, rookie Greg Stiemsma is expected to play some tonight against Lakers all-star center Andrew Bynum. The 7-foot rookie played a career-high 27 minutes in Boston's blowout win against Portland on Friday. He has struggled at times, often relying too much on his shot-blocking prowess and not enough on playing good positional defense. But he's a rookie who is still learning. And looking at the C's other big man options right now (Wilcox is out, as well as Jermaine O'Neal with a wrist injury), he's the best (and only big man option) they have right now coming off the bench.
WHAT WE SAW: Considering his role with the Celtics, Stiemsma actually had a decent night for the Green team. He only had two points, but grabbed four rebounds and swatted a game-high three blocked shots which includes sending a Pau Gasol shot a few rows deep.
STAT TO TRACK: Rebound, rebound, rebound. The Celtics hear it all the time, and yet seldom do a good job at it. They'll have to today if they are to give themselves a legit shot at winning tonight. The Lakers come in averaging 54.6 rebounds per game which ranks No. 2 in the NBA. Even more impressive is that their average rebounding margin is plus-5 per game. In their Feb. 9 game, the Lakers were plus-10 on the boards which contributed to them having a 24-13 advantage on second-chance points.
WHAT WE SAW: As expected, Boston's lack of size - and thus, ability to rebound - was indeed a factor in the game's outcome. The Lakers had their way around the basket most of the game, and finished plus-8 on the boards. "That's no secret," said Paul Pierce. "Everybody knows what the Laker's strengths are. They have tremendous size."