The Los Angeles Lakers were finally back in Staples Center after a long 7-game road trip. They were ready to host the Boston Celtics and put on a show for their fans who were just welcomed back to the arena. Both teams are 5th in their conference and are trying to refrain from 7th-10th in order to avoid the play-in. In the Western Conference, the Lakers have a 2 ½ half-game lead on the Trailblazers. In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics have a half-game lead on the Knicks. By the end of the night, they would be a full game ahead of the Knicks. Talk about the “luck of the Irish.”
The Celtics hit the ground running to start the game. They took an early 9-point lead which forced the Lakers to call timeout. However, that would not change much. Just under the halfway point in the quarter, the Celtics were up 14. The Lakers struggled offensively, only shooting 23% from the field and 14% from deep. As a result, they were down 31-23 going into the second.
The Lakers attempted to have a different attitude to begin the second quarter. Dennis Schroder’s pull-up jumper bought them within 5. It would not last long, though. The Lakers’ defense was flat and allowed the Celtics to get their rhythm going again. Despite it being a 4-point game a couple of times, it was back to a 14- point game at the end of the half. The scoreboard read 62-48 at the break.
At the beginning of the third, a series of 3-pointers and a jumper allowed the Lakers to pull within 6. From that point on, it was all Celtics. Jaylen Brown scooped up 11 consecutive points for his team. With his help, they went into the final stretch leading 91-79.
The Celtics showed no signs of stopping in the fourth quarter. Their lead blew to 27 at the 7:01 mark. Nonetheless, the Lakers went on a 24-4 run. With about a minute left in regulation, the Lakers made it a 5-point game. Still, they could not pull out the win or send it to overtime. The Celtics beat the Lakers 121-113. This is their 5th straight victory, and they are now tied with the Hawks for 4th in the East. Both teams have a 30-26 record.
Brown led the team with 40 points. Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard had 15 points apiece. Jason Tatum and Triston Thompson also finished with identical numbers. The pair finished with 14 points apiece.
To have beaten three playoff-caliber teams on the road was a great sign according to Brown.
“That’s big for us, we have been struggling up and down,” he said. “The second half of the season we looked to be better than the first half.”
Up Next
The Lakers and Celtics will be back in action on Saturday, April 17th. The Lakers will stay put to host the Jazz at 4:30 pm, while the Celtics will host the Warriors at 8:30 pm.
