The Los Angeles Clippers' recent form has been impressive, riding a six-game winning streak fuelled by Kawhi Leonard's strong performances and James Harden's playmaking abilities. Their morale is high. Good news for the Clippers: Ivica Zubac has been confirmed to return from injury, crucial for rebounding and interior defence. However, Coach Tyronn Lue announced Zubac will come off the bench, possibly to leverage his height against the Boston Celtics' rotating line-up. The Boston Celtics have an advantage. Despite the absence of Jayson Tatum, they boast a mature system as a top-three Eastern Conference team. Their average points (117) and rebounding capabilities are slightly superior to the Clippers. Jaylen Brown is in excellent form recently, scoring over 30 points in multiple games, posing a significant challenge to the Clippers' frontcourt defence. Key matchup: The backcourt battle between Harden and Derrick White. Harden needs to limit turnovers and use his playmaking skills to break down the Celtics' tight defence. The Clippers will miss the injured Bradley Bigdanovic, impacting their backcourt defence and bench scoring. Facing the Celtics' multi-faceted offence, the Clippers' rotational depth will be tested. With Tatum out for the Celtics, they lose a reliable ball-handler and offensive initiator, potentially giving the Clippers an opportunity. Kawhi Leonard has shown his 'playoff mode' during the winning streak, scoring at will, particularly with a 45-point performance against the Utah Jazz. Jaylen Brown is currently the Celtics' primary scorer and will need to take on more offensive responsibilities in Tatum's absence.