After the Celtics took a commanding lead, the Lakers rallied to cut the large deficit in half. Despite everything, the C’s defeated the Lakers 126-115 on Monday, Christmas Day. The Celtics concluded their road trip to the West Coast with a 3-1 victory, bringing their season total to 23-6.
With an 18-point lead in the first quarter, it appeared as though the Celtics would run the Lakers off the court early. The road team gained an early advantage because of the C’s excellent defense and explosive starts from their stars.
By halftime, though, the Lakers had locked down and reduced the score to one point. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown collided in the second quarter, sending both players to the floor in a terrifying moment. After a short while, they went back to the game; James shortly after and Brown at the beginning of the second half.
The Celtics’ 41-point third quarter helped them to a double-digit lead in the second half. The Lakers continued to attempt to cut into the lead, but the C’s held them off in the closing moments to seal the victory.
For the Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis scored 28 points, and Jayson Tatum chipped in with another 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. LeBron James had a bad night, going just 5-of-14, but he still managed 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists for the Lakers, led by Anthony Davis, who finished with 40 points and 13 rebounds.
Thursday night at TD Garden, the Celtics will play their home game against the Pistons at 7:30 p.m. Four things can be learned from Boston’s victory over Los Angeles:
Changing things:Porzingis is a player the Celtics acquired through trade, specifically for occasions like Monday when he can significantly alter the lineup. That was in fact the case, as Porzingis continued to contribute and the C’s were able to hunt down his mismatches. The big man’s ability to score and stretch the floor gives the Celtics a new dynamic that they haven’t had in previous years. With an 11-for-19 shooting percentage, Porzingis finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds.
Equilibrium scoring: The offensive output of the Celtics has been impressive lately, and even though it wasn’t as high on Monday, they were still productive in that area. Tatum and Porzingis scored more than 25 points apiece, but all of the other Celtics starters scored at least 18. Although Jaylen Brown and Tatum didn’t have the best night on the field, that is precisely why this team has so many weapons. Brown finished with 19 points and five rebounds, while Jrue Holiday and Derrick White each had 18 points.
One more strong third: Although the C’s have struggled to recover from halftime on occasion this season, that wasn’t much of a problem on this road trip. The Celtics outscored the Lakers 41-33 in the third quarter, continuing their impressive play. Conversely, the C’s aim to conclude quarters with greater strength than they did on Monday. Among other things, they gave up a big lead to the Lakers at the end of the first quarter, even though they were ahead by eighteen points. Nevertheless, their final stretch performance was impressive as part of another victory.
Benchmark evaluation: Luke Kornet has missed the last six games for the Celtics, leaving them thin up front, but the backup big man was fit for Monday’s match. Joe Mazzulla, the coach of the C’s, decided to start Neemias Queta instead because of his recent performance. Kornet did not appear in court on Monday after all. Queta recorded a rebound and an assist during her seven minutes of play. The C’s will need that backup big spot to be successful over the course of a long season, so it’s important to keep an eye on the rotation situation. In his brief playing time, Payton Pritchard also made an impression. The Lakers really needed his 10 points at the beginning of the second quarter to keep them in the lead.
