The Lakers couldn’t find enough firepower to stop the Boston Celtics, losing 126-105, on Friday night.
LA had a rough start offensively, allowing the Celtics to take an early eight-point lead. Derrick White
drained two quick 3-pointers. At the 6:39 mark, the Lakers were still in single digits with just seven points scored.
Los Angeles was forced to call a timeout as they continued to struggle with scoring and defense. After the break, LA missed a shot, and on the other end, White scored another 3-pointer.
Austin Reaves was having a tough start, missing all five of his shot attempts. Los Angeles was shooting 26% from the field. Boston was shooting 63% from behind the arc, a major factor in their lead.
At the end of the first, the purple and gold were down by 22.
Shots continued to fall for Boston to start the second period. Reaves finally saw the basket go through the hoop, scoring four points. It didn’t matter as the 3-pointers kept flying for the Celtics.
The Lakers’ deficit grew to 27.
Deandre Ayton missed quite a few of his usual midrange jumpers, but he did score four points in the paint. Gabe Vincent drained his second 3-pointer of the half. Boston had very balanced scoring, with every player except Baylor Scheierman scoring six or more points.
At halftime, LA was down by 23.
Jaylen Brown drained three 3-pointers in a row to start the second half. Vincent knocked down another 3-pointer for the Lakers. LA picked up its energy, outsourcing Boston 17 to 16 so far.
Rui Hachimura was leading the charge in the quarter with five points. He was the third Laker in double digits with 13 points. A 9-0 Los Angeles scoring run gave them some momentum.
The Celtics responded with a quick five points in a row. LA was battling, but Boston continued to have an answer each time they mounted a comeback. As the quarter was winding down, the Lakers gained steam once again.
Los Angeles closed the third on an 8-0 scoring run, cutting the deficit to 15 heading into the fourth.
Boston came out red-hot to start the final frame, knocking down two straight 3-pointers, putting a dent in whatever momentum LA had developed in the third. Despite Reaves’ efforts, the Celtics had regained complete control of the game.
The Lakers emptied their bench at the 6:38 mark.
Key Player Stats:
Reaves ended with 36 points, three rebounds and eight assists. Vincent had 18 points. Hachimura scored 13 points with seven rebounds. Ayton pitched in with six points and 10 rebounds. Nick Smith Jr. notched 13 points off the bench.
The Lakers’ next matchup is Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers at 4:30 PM PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
