Celtics 111, Lakers 89

 

LA sucks. A full strength Lakers squad, with Luka and LeBron and Smart all in the starting lineup, couldn't even break 90 points against the Boston Celtics. Having taken down the Warriors and the Lakers, the Celtics are now 2-0 on this post-All-Star break, West-Coast road trip.

The Celtics outrebounded the Lakers, 50-39. They hit more three-pointers, 15, than L.A. (9). Jaylen Brown dropped 32 points, Pritchard, 30, and Queta had a double double with 10 points and a dozen rebounds. And the Celttics never let up, tying or beating the Lakers every quarter of the game - no trademark "underperforming" quarters.

Our old friend Marcus Smart was on the court for 22:22 and didn't score a single point, going 0-7 including five missed three-pointers. Only one rebound the whole game, too. Hard to fathom how this team is in first place in the Pacific division. 

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic, Boston remains in first, one game ahead on the Knicks (coincidentally, just before the All-Star break, the Celtics lost to the Knicks, 111-89, the exact same score as last night's win over the Lakers). However, Boston remain 5½ back from the Pistons in the Eastern Conference standings. 

The Celtics' West-Coast road trip continues with a Tuesday night game against the Phoenix Suns (33-25), the second-place team in the Pacific.