Final: Celtics 117, Clippers 113 (OT) - Jaden Springer saves the Celtics

BOSTON CELTICS (30-13) at L.A. CLIPPERS (24-18)

Intuit Dome, 10:30 p.m. - NBCS Boston

Line: Celtics -12.5

INJURIES

Boston: Jrue Holiday, (QUESTIONABLE OUT, Shoulder), Al Horford (QUESTIONABLE OUT, Toe), Kristaps Porzingis (QUESTIONABLE OUT, Illness)

LA Clippers: Norm Powell (OUT, back), Ivica Zubac (OUT, eye), Kawhi Leonard (OUT, knee), Nicolas Batum (QUESTIONABLE OUT, finger), Kris Dunn (OUT, knee), James Harden (QUESTIONABLE OUT, groin). 

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Keep it rolling: Things were great against Golden State, even with all their injuries. The Clippers are also very shorthanded, so even if the Celtics sit Holiday and one of their bigs, this should be a game where, if they keep up their energy and execution, the Celtics should be able to build an early lead and extend it throughout the game. 

But to be clear, they HAVE to put it in the effort and execution and not look past this to the Lakers game. 

2. Jaylen Brown/Jayson Tatum rotation: Let’s see if Brown continues to get a bulk of the first-quarter run. As I wrote in my column earlier, this is the best path forward to get the most engaged Jaylen Brown as possible. 

3. Shooting: This is more than “let’s see if shots fall.” This is the Celtics playing in a new arena for the first time, with new sight lines and a new atmosphere. They will probably be looking around at the environment with some mix of awe, interest, and confusion throughout the night. So let’s see how this new building impacts their shooting. Yeah, the rims are 10 feet high everywhere, but all the stuff surrounding these rims is different, so it’ll take a little adjusting. 

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.