Wallace will start
Rasheed Wallace will start in place of injured Celtics center Kendrick Perkins tonight against the Lakers.
“He’s old,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “I figured I’d play the oldest guys. I just think it’s a good combination with Kevin because of his size, with Bynum’s size. I just think it’s a better fit for us. It may also give Rondo a chance to get loose early because of the spacing on the floor.
With Wallace starting, forward Glen Davis will come off the bench. Davis said he was so excited for tonight’s game that he woke up at 5 a.m. “alive” with energy. His energy off the bench will be crucial for the Celtics tonight.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he expected the Celtics to try some different things with Perkins out, but Rivers said the lineups would be essentially the same. He does not plan, he said, to go small and extensively use a lineup with Rajon Rondo and Nate Robinson, for example.
“We’re going to be basically who we’ve been,” said Rivers.
Rivers said the Celtics have shown incredible focus in preparing for this game.
“For a talkative group they’ve been very quiet,” he said. “That’s usually a good sign for us.”
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