All of the current Lakers realized that playing against the Boston Celtics on national television really was more than just one of the 82 games on the NBA schedule.
It was crystallized even more because iconic former Lakers coach Pat Riley sat courtside after a celebration for the unveiling of his statue outside on the Star Plaza at Crypto.com Arena. He was the first Lakers coach to beat the hated Celtics for an NBA championship after eight failed attempts.
So, yes, on this Sunday afternoon, this game meant more if only because it was another game in the long rivalry, a game the Lakers lost, 111-89.
Luka Doncic had 25 points for the Lakers, but he was just nine-for-22 from the field. LeBron James had 20 points, but he was just nine-for-21 from the field.
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It was obvious the Lakers felt the intensity of the rivalry when the fans saw Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart get issued technical fouls in the second quarter and coach JJ Redick get hit with one in the third.
But was of real concern for the Lakers was trying to deal with the Celtics and their three-point shooters.
The Celtics entered the game tossing up 42.4 threes per game, the third-highest output in the NBA, and making 15.4 of them, also the third-highest.
On cue, the Celtics shot 14-for-36 from three-point range.
The Lakers (34-22) fell behind by 18 points with 4:46 left in the fourth quarter after Jaylen Brown was fouled while scoring. He made the free throw for a three-point play and then followed that up with a three-pointer to put the Lakers in a 21-point hole.
Brown finished the game with 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
But the real problem for the Lakers was not being able to slow down Payton Pritchard. His three-pointer gave the Celtics a 22-point lead and forced Redick to call a timeout with three minutes and 22 seconds left.
Pritchard was too much for the Lakers to handle, his 30 points off the bench on 10-for-13 shooting and six-for-nine on three-pointers was a big difference.
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After his three gave the Celtics a 22-point lead late, Redick pulled his starters, knowing that this game was over.
They faced a Celtics team that is second in the Eastern Conference and had won eight of their last 10 games.
“I’m not gonna lie to you guys, there are certain games where you feel it a little bit more,” Redick said before the game. “Playing at the Garden against the Knicks is awesome. Any time we play the Warriors. You go down the line, there’s a lot of games. Being a novice, at least in terms of NBA history, and just really understanding what this rivalry means for the history of the league, it’s an honor just to be a part of it. I got to experience it for four years when I was at Duke, and I always felt like it was just an honor to be a part of the Duke-UNC rivalry and be a part of the continuing tradition of that, and it’s no different here.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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