It always hurts fans in the Southland when the Los Angeles Lakers lose to the Boston Celtics, even when it happens during a summer league game.
That is what happened on Wednesday, when the Lakers lost to their arch-rivals in Las Vegas, 95-90, snapping their budding streak of two wins in a row.
Los Angeles appeared in control early, taking a 28-19 lead after one quarter and a 53-43 advantage at halftime. But after leading by as many as 14 points, the Lakers lost control as the Celtics attacked the paint, especially in transition, and pounded the boards.
Three things, in particular, stood out for the Lakers, and not all of them were good things.
Jalen Hood-Schifino is going through some growing pains
After doing well in the second game of the California Classic, Hood-Schifino has come down to earth.
The No. 17 pick in June’s NBA draft shot 3-of-11 in the first contest of the NBA Summer League on Friday. He responded with a solid effort on Sunday: 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting and 2-of-2 from 3-point range plus five assists.
Against the Celtics, the former Indiana University standout had another rough outing: He shot 7-of-20 from the field.
His ability to finish at or near the basket is still a work in progress. However, he has shown improvement with his 3-point shooting, which was an area of concern coming into the draft.
At the same time, Hood-Schifino has kept his turnovers down throughout summer league play, which is a very promising sign when it comes to his potential as a primary ballhandler.
Max Christie bounced back with another sensational game
On Sunday, Christie had his first bad game this summer, scoring 11 points on 3-of-10 from the field versus the Charlotte Hornets. But he bounced back and once again looked very poised and in control on Wednesday.
Against the Celtics, he led L.A. in scoring with 24 points while hitting 7-of-14 overall, 2-of-5 from downtown and all eight of his free throws. The incoming second-year man also added eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot.
The chances of him becoming a fixture in head coach Darvin Ham’s rotation are looking good.
D'Moi Hodge may have some potential as a sniper
After a quiet start to summer league play, Hodge started to heat up from beyond the arc in recent days. On Wednesday, he was about as hot as the heat wave that is engulfing Southern California.
He hit 8-of-16 overall from the field, but he did most of his damage from deep by going 6-of-13 from downtown, giving him 22 points on the night.
Hodge, an undrafted guard out of the University of Missouri, is on a two-way contract with the Lakers organization. Perhaps he can turn into someone who will help them with one of their biggest needs, 3-point shooting.
