In the game of the two traditional franchises from Los Angeles and Boston, the Lakers had the better end on their side and were able to rely on their defense in particular at 96:95 in the final quarter. At the Celtics, however, one player was heartbroken while the team fears for their injured leader. Here are the highlights in the video!
In the defeat in Detroit, the Lakers had to do without Anthony Davis due to a quadriceps injury, in Boston he showed again what a great influence he can have on the game – although his use was only decided shortly before the start of the game. On the offensive he convinced with 27 points and also grabbed 6 rebounds (14 in total), at the other end of the field he showed his variability and contributed 2 steals, among other things.
“For me, it’s about getting back into attack mode, being aggressive, working well on the offensive board, being in the zone. The way I did today,” said Davis. According to head coach Frank Vogel, the injury set him back a bit, so the higher the performance is to be assessed. “We wanted him to dominate. And if he can do that on both sides of the ball, we’ll be hard to beat.”
The main reason for the victory, however, saw the protagonists in the common defense in the fourth quarter. LA only allowed 17 points in this round, it was the fourth win of the current season in games in which the Lakers went into the final twelve minutes with a deficit. “Talent can only get you to a certain point,” said LeBron James, emphasizing the importance of the appropriate attitude.
“It was clear that we would not allow us to lose three games in a row. We lost here with 30 points last year and were therefore able to take revenge. Everyone played with full commitment today and that paid off,” added Davis, while Vogel was particularly pleased with the depth of the squad, which will continue to be elementary for the team’s success in the future. “We will continue to build on it.”
Lakers are happy about defense and support cast
This should also appeal to Dennis Schröder (12 points, 7 assists), who by far did not succeed in everything, but who had some good scenes in crunchtime, including a three-point game against Buddy Daniel Theis and his only goal from a distance. Reservists Kyle Kuzma (11, 4/8 FG) and Big Man Montrezl Harrell did a little better, sinking eight of his ten throws for 16 points.
On the other side, there were exactly two topics of conversation after the game: the two chances of victory shortly before the end and Marcus Smart’s injury. “I actually always smile, but I didn’t do that today. I thought too much and therefore had a mental block,” said Kemba Walker, who missed a promising throw from the middle distance, quarreled with himself.
Otherwise, the point guard got a completely used day and only converted one of his twelve throws (4 points). The plus / minus of -8 was the worst value of all actors. It was only Walker’s fifth game of the season after missing the first twelve due to a knee surgery. “I like the litter we got. We would take it again ten times out of ten,” the strong Jaylen Brown jumped to his teammate’s side. After Walker’s jumper, Theis also missed a promising opportunity, his tip-in did not find its way into the basket.
Boston Celtics worry about Marcus Smart
While the defeat against the defending champion is bearable in the long run, the Celtics should be hit harder by a prolonged failure of their leader Smart. Smart went to the ground 10:28 minutes before the end, pained when he got his left foot wrong under his own basket while fighting for the rebound without opponents participating.
Afterwards he could only leave the field with the support of the coaches and not put any weight on his leg. An MRI examination on Sunday should provide further information. In an initial reaction, the Celtics reported a strained calf – everyone involved should be more than happy with this diagnosis.
“Everyone worries about their health. He’s essential to our team. Regardless of his numbers, he’s our leader. Hopefully the test results are negative and we’ll get him back soon,” said Brown. The Celtics have lost their last two games, starting Tuesday a road trip with five games on the west coast, starting with the Golden State Warriors.
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