The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are back on the same hardwood Thursday night for an intense midseason battle. It is a contest that gets the juices flowing every time the rivals clash.

LeBron James voiced concerns with the make-up of the roster, so every Laker knows they are on notice during a national TV game. Boston figures to be businesslike behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The Washington Capitals are a top-flight team, so we will study their NHL game against the Seattle Kraken. Alex Ovechkin continues to hunt Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record, but I don’t sense too many people being happy to see the “Great One” eventually dropping to No. 2 on the list.

We will also look at a college basketball game—a pretty solid Memphis team that could do some damage during March Madness.

BOSTON CELTICS AT LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Boston is 2-0 on a four-game trip, and one of the victories was a 125-85 thrashing of the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers just notched a season-best 23-point win—111-88 over the Washington Wizards on Monday.

The Celtics beat the Los Angeles Clippers 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday, but it was a major struggle when you consider Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell and others didn’t suit up for the Clippers. Yet Boston coach Joe Mazzulla felt he got the better of everyone with this retort: “I think the question would be, ‘Why would people think it would be an easy game?'” Ohhh, you really got us, Joe.

The Celtics should have more manpower against the Lakers after Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Al Horford (toe) sat out against the Clippers. Because the game was close, Tatum and Derrick White played more than 42 minutes, and Brown topped 38.

James recorded his ninth triple-double of the season against Washington while Davis excelled with 29 points and 16 rebounds. Both guys need to be dynamic if the Lakers are to nab this win.

Lakers +6.5 points, -115 (DraftKings)

WASHINGTON CAPITALS VS. SEATTLE KRAKEN

The Capitals lead the NHL in points (69) and are tied for the lead in victories (32) during their standout season. Washington has won five straight games and has allowed just four goals during the stretch.

Ovechkin stands 20 goals short of Gretzky’s all-time record of 894 goals. That’s it—20. He has 21 goals in 31 games this season, having also missed nearly six weeks with a broken left fibula. Ovechkin has failed to score a goal in six of the past eight games as he enters the rink below the Space Needle.

Seattle has won two straight games and four of its last six while playing some solid hockey. The Kraken have scored 20 goals in the wins during that span and three in the two losses. Jared McCann had one goal and two assists in Monday’s 6-4 home win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Seattle could use a burst from goal leader Jaden Schwartz (16), who had a hat trick last Saturday but otherwise has just one goal in nine other games this month.

Over 5.5 goals, -112 (DraftKings)

WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS AT MEMPHIS TIGERS

Memphis played a tough nonconference schedule and made major noise with its upset of then-No. 2 UConn in the first round of the Maui Invitational right before Thanksgiving. The Tigers lost to then-No. 4 Auburn in the title game of the event two days later.

Memphis has won five of its past six games, with the loss coming to Temple, one of its American Athletic Conference foes. PJ Haggerty fills up the hoop and has 12 20-point efforts, though he was “held” to 18 in Sunday’s 77-68 road victory over Charlotte.

Remember Wichita State’s run as an elite program? An NCAA Tournament regular? The 2013 Final Four? A star like Fred VanVleet? The Shockers won 30 or more games four times in a five-season span. Yeah, that seems ages ago. Mean coach Gregg Marshall resigned under pressure in the fall of 2020 for verbal and mental abuse of players, and now the program is obsolete.

The Shockers went 5-13 in AAC play last season and are 1-4 so far this season. Corey Washington supplied 19 points and 18 rebounds on Saturday as Wichita State fell 75-72 to visiting East Carolina. There is no upset coming.

Memphis -13, -112 (DraftKings)