While one of the NBA's elite teams has constantly had to shuffle its rotation around this season, adjusting for various injuries, the other has been the perfect picture of consistency all year long. On Wednesday night, we'll get an up-close look at that contrast.
The Celtics are hosting the San Antonio Spurs at the TD Garden, and they'll once again be without Kevin Garnett as their star forward battles back from a calf muscle strain. They only recently got Rajon Rondo back, and their three centers — Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal and Semih Erden — have been jerked in and out of the lineup nonstop this season. It's been a roller-coaster year for Doc Rivers and the C's.
For the visiting Spurs? Not so much. One reason Gregg Popovich's squad stands at a league-best 29-5 this season is health — all five of the Spurs' starters have been active for all 34 games this season. Pop hasn't had to change his starting lineup once all year.
Where one lineup has been through all the turmoil in the world, the other hasn't even flinched.
Here are the starting fives for C's-Spurs:
Celtics
Rajon Rondo, PG
Ray Allen, SG
Paul Pierce, SF
Glen Davis, PF
Shaquille O'Neal, C
Spurs
Tony Parker, PG
Manu Ginobili, SG
Richard Jefferson, SF
Tim Duncan, PF
DeJuan Blair, C
