LOS ANGELES — The Celtics will be without three rotation players on Wednesday night as they face off against a shorthanded Clippers squad at the Intuit Dome.

Boston’s starting five is finding cohesion, and its defense stifled Golden State. The Celtics’ ability to stay consistent will be tested against the Clippers, who sit fifth in the Western Conference standings and sport a 15-7 record at the Intuit Dome.

Both teams are on a back-to-back, and Los Angeles will be sitting several of their players, the perfect opportunity for Boston to build some momentum

The hero in the Celtics' OT win over the Clippers wasn't Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, but an unheralded star off the bench.

Joe Mazzulla said it would be "discrediting" the Clippers to think the Celtics should have easily won Wednesday. Read more on Boston.com.

The Clippers, missing Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac, fall just short against Boston.

One night later, Boston players all but shrugged their shoulders after falling to the Lakers 117-96 on the second leg of a back-to-back. Kristaps Porziņģis, who has been critical of the Celtics after their worst games recently, sounded ready to dump the latest poor result into the nearest trash can and forget about it for good.

Boston will need to be vigilant that old habits vs. banged-up and lesser ball clubs don't make a winnable game into a struggle -- or worse, a loss.

Teams are entering the NBA trade deadline with the idea of adjusting their cap situations, while rumors and intel about Jimmy Butler form.

With Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Norman Powell back in the lineup, the Clippers cruised to a 110-93 victory over the struggling Washington Wizards.