Losses detract from Lakers-Celtics rivalry’s lustre

Fans hope both teams' poor form is by design and temporary

Friday's meeting between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers lacked the gravitas usually associated with the two illustrious franchises. Michael Nelson / EPA

The NBA’s greatest rivalry played out another round on Friday when the Boston Celtics travelled west to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers won 101-92 on the strength of a 38-point fourth-quarter surge. It is unlikely, though, that many people were much invested in the outcome.

That is because the Lakers and Celtics are both bad this year. Really, really bad.

It is hard to fathom that just a few years ago, these two were the most-dominant teams in basketball. In 2008 and 2010, the Lakers and Celtics played each other for the NBA championship, each winning once. The Lakers also appeared in the 2009 final, defeating the Orlando Magic.

An interesting statistic was shown during the broadcast: the teams’ combined winning percentage of 33.9 was the lowest heading into a match-up between them in the history of the series, which dates back to the 1940s.

The line-ups the Celtics and Lakers are trotting out on a nightly basis are almost unrecognisable from the dominant squads of just a few years prior.

There is, however, a silver lining for fans of these two glamour franchises: the poor form is partly by design, and it should not last long.

Both teams are realistic enough to know they need to be among the league’s bottom-feeders this season, ahead of an unusually strong NBA draft. Each defeat stings even as it improves their chances for a top pick.

The Lakers have been miserable without Kobe Bryant and, if they can move the fading Pau Gasol at some point, they believe they can make a run at one of the marquee free agents becoming available in the next few seasons, such as Kevin Love (after this season) or Kevin Durant (in 2015).

They will also have their pick in this year’s draft, and if historical patterns hold true, they will hit upon a star to take over the mantle of greatness from Bryant, who in turn took it from Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who took it from Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

Stars seem to have a way of finding themselves in Los Angeles.

As for the Celtics, they are being led by first-year coaching wunderkind Brad Stevens, and will own their pick in this year’s draft and several other valuable assets, thanks to sending Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets in a trade last summer.

Plus, they still have Rajon Rondo, who could be a backbone in the transition to the next great Boston team or used to acquire more building blocks for Stevens.

So while Friday’s meeting was an ugly affair between two fallen giants, think of it more like a hiccup for the NBA’s two most historically dominant clubs.