Arguably the greatest team rivalry in all of sports continued on Tuesday when the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Boston Celtics.
Boston built an early double-digit lead, as it hurt the Lakers from 3-point range and on the offensive boards. But the Lakers made a furious run starting at the end of the third quarter. They did so by getting stops and unleashing their showtime fast break.
However, the effort left LeBron James and Anthony Davis exhausted, and L.A. gave up a 106-93 lead with about four minutes left. The Celtics forced overtime and prevailed 122-118.
The Lakers’ lack of 3-point shooting and reliable, consistent scorers other than James and Davis were on full display throughout this contest.
LeBron James: A
James looked like his vintage self versus Boston. He shot 14-of-25 from the field to score 33 points to go along with nine rebounds and nine assists. However, he was just 3-of-11 from 3-point range and 2-of-4 from the free throw line.
Four of his misses from downtown came down the stretch when he was tired.
Before that, he served up some highlights for the Crypto.com Arena crowd with a couple of breakaway jams, proving he still has plenty of juice in his soon-to-be 38-year-old body.
Anthony Davis: A-minus
Davis continued his recent rampage with 37 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the field and 11-of-15 from the free-throw line, 12 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one blocked shot.
Unfortunately, he missed two free throws with 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter that could’ve won the game for the Lakers. He also missed a potential game-winning free throw at the end of regulation on Friday versus the Philadelphia 76ers.
Patrick Beverley: C
Beverley helped his team’s cause by making 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. However, he missed two easy layups and finished 2-of-5 from the field, scoring six points with two rebounds and one blocked shot.
Dennis Schroder: D
Schroder did very little on Tuesday. He played 19 minutes, but he took only two shots, missing both, and scoring just two points on free throws while getting one rebound and one assist.
Lonnie Walker IV: C-plus
Walker went scoreless in the first half, then put up seven points in the third quarter to help start the Lakers’ big run. Afterward, however, he went MIA.
He finished 3-of-6 from the field and made his lone 3-point attempt to finish with just seven points in 23 minutes.
With James and Davis tiring down the stretch, this would’ve been a great game for Walker to get hot when it mattered most.
Troy Brown Jr.: C-minus
Brown scored just two points on 1-of-3 shooting to go along with three rebounds and one steal in 31 minutes.
It’s starting to look like he was a zero-impact veteran minimum signing for the Lakers, as he hasn’t been making up what he lacks offensively on the defensive end.
Thomas Bryant: Incomplete
Bryant got just seven minutes against the Celtics, as Davis wanted to stay in the game during the fourth quarter, scoring four points and grabbing one rebound.
Russell Westbrook: C-plus
Westbrook went an ugly 7-of-19 from the field. He got off to a rough start in the first half, but he made a positive impact afterward. He was able to increase the game tempo to spark L.A.’s second-half run, and he gobbled up 14 rebounds and dished five assists to give his team a chance to win.
His shot selection, at times, was very questionable. On the other hand, he made an impressive effort defensively by blocking four shots.
Austin Reaves: B-minus
The Lakers needed more scoring from Reaves (and others not named James and Davis). He shot just 2-of-6 and scored four points in 36 minutes while missing both of his 3-point attempts.
But Reaves played some impressive defense and ended up with two steals and two blocks. He also added five assists and four rebounds.
Kendrick Nunn: Incomplete
In six minutes, Nunn scored three points on 1-of-2 shooting. His lone made basket was a 3-pointer.
