Tonight is the night. The second of two games against the defending champions and the Lakers first return to Boston. Last time they were in this stadium they lost by far too many points (we won’t mention any numbers). This time around, let’s hope they can manage to play a bit better.

When these two teams faced up earlier this season on Christmas Day in Los Angeles, the Lakers came out on top with a late run to seal the deal. That game included Andrew Bynum in the lineup. This time around, Bynum is again on the injured list and will not be a part of the contest. The only thing that balances things out for the Lakers is that Kevin Garnett may be out of this contest as he recovers from the flu.

Either way you look at it, this game is sure to be amazing and I can’t wait to watch (while I sit in a class, if you have a feed online, link it over here).

In the meantime, I’ve exchanged a few questions and answer with Jeff of Celtics Blog. These answers are sure to provide a good amount of insight. I also answered a few questions about the Lakers that you can take a look at over at the legendary Celtics Blog (one of the best team sports blogs on the net). By the way, I can’t even describe how much I hate this green color that the Celtics text is.

LABallTalk: The Celtics are back in the conversation for best record with their current winning streak. What do you think was the primary issue this team was having during their losing skid that they have now fixed?

Celtics Blog: First of all, I make no excuses for Christmas day.  The Lakers came out and played the better game and beat the Celtics fair and square.  With that said, there are a number of things you can point to for the Celtics slide during those few weeks.  They had played the most games of any team in the league at that point, including a lot of back to back games.  So fatigue enters the equation but it is more than that.  They hadn’t had a chance to practice between games, so bad habits were forming and the coaching staff didn’t have much time to work on fixing them.  So when teams started gameplanning to force Rondo to be a jump shooter, it was harder for the club to make adjustments to counter that strategy.  Now they have an easier schedule the rest of the way, the coaches have gotten the team to focus better on defensive rotations, and Rondo has started working on a more consistent shooting regimen.  The before KG went out with the flu, the team was playing the best basketball they’ve played all year, including that 19 game winning streak.

LABallTalk: Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are both scoring less points than they did last season. Ray Allen is scoring a bit more. Has the Celtics offense noticeably changed from last season? Is the strategy still the same?

Celtics Blog: Mostly the same strategy, but they are looking for Ray Allen in the offense more.  Last year he was still a quarter-step slow due to some nagging ankle issues and they used him primarily as a spot up shooter.  Ray is one of the best spot up shooters in the game, but his game is more versatile than that.  He can use screens, pick and roll, drives to the basket, and find any number of ways to beat you (just ask Sasha).  Also, Rondo has taken a big step forward in his game and he’s really developed a nice chemistry with Ray.  When Rondo is dropping dimes chances are Ray is cashing in.

LABallTalk: With the starters a year older, it is expected that the defense will take a toll. How do you feel this year’s defense compares to last years?

Celtics Blog: I would say at times the defense is even better, but the consistency has slipped a bit.  I suppose you can blame it on the Posey effect.  He has been replaced by a combination of younger players (Tony Allen, Leon Powe, Big Baby) and those younger players aren’t as consistent on defense as Posey was.  That said, the team has another year under their belt in this system and they know it like the back of their hands.  So as long as the effort is there, the results should be too.

LABallTalk: What are the primary issues to address for the Celtics after the all star break? What do you feel is necessary in order for them to repeat as champions?

Celtics Blog: You’ll hear a lot about the guy with a tattoo on his head, and I can see the rationale behind adding a backup point that can score with the second unit.  However, I’ve felt all along that we need a backup center with some size to him.  Big Baby has been playing great lately and Leon Powe proved his worth in the playoffs last year, but PJ Brown was a very valuable piece to that team and we haven’t replaced him yet.  Patrick O’Bust has been useless thus far.  If we can find a way to add Joe Smith, I’d be a happy camper headed into the playoffs.  Still, even if we don’t make any changes between now and June, I would still like our chances at repeating.  The core of this team is just that good.