A bitter night at Crypto.com Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers fall 111-89 to the Boston Celticsand more than the score itself, the feeling is of a team still lacking when facing true contenders. Too much physicality absorbed and far too little offensive rhythm. And when you score 89 points in the NBA, you’ve almost always already lost the game.
The Big Three tried, but it wasn’t enough. Luka Doncic led the way with 25 points, finishing 9-of-22 from the field (4-of-7 from three) with 8 assists.
I think you can see that we’re not at that level yet. Like I said, we’re working on it. You can see the great potential of the three of us when we play together.
Luka Doncic
A reality check, but also a clear message: the potential is there, it just takes time. Alongside him, LeBron James (who described Jaylen Brown as an MVP) scored 20 points but never truly found his rhythm from beyond the arc. Austin Reaves added 15efficient but barely involved in the key moments.
Together they accounted for 60 of the team’s 89 points. The more telling stat? No one else reached double figures. Far too little to withstand Boston, which defended aggressively and executed consistently. Head coach JJ Redick was direct as well: the issue isn’t just the stars, but the offense as a whole.
Yeah, I think they were very physical. They played great defense, but we had to attack better. We only scored 89 points, which isn’t a lot, so we’ve got to be better.
JJ Redick
It’s worth noting this trio has played just 11 games together. Injuries have slowed everything down, and chemistry isn’t built overnight. But the Western Conference won’t wait. With the record slipping to 34-22the Lakers need to find real cohesion quickly.
Time is running short: 26 games remain in the regular season. If, as Doncic says, the potential is evident, then this loss can serve as a valuable lesson – provided they learn it fast.
Comments are closed.