Although Los Angeles lost the first match with the Boston Celtics, Anthony Davis and LeBron James played wonderfully. It seems as they were exhausted and needed rest.
James’s left ankle injury and Davis’ Achilles tendon issue and left hip spasms interfere with the highly awaited nationally broadcast match between the bitter rivals. They finally got their wish fulfilled and watched the match from the bench.
But Austin Reaves stunned the Boston Celtics 114-105 with a season-high 32 points and a career-high seven 3-pointers. This leads the Lakers to hold on to 114-105, despite the absence of its best players.
“We’re all talented players. Given the opportunity to show the world what you can do,” Reaves said. “Before the game, we come together and was like, ‘Look, the least we can do is go out there and play as hard as we can and live with the results.
What happened was likely the Lakers’ finest win of the year?
Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics Match Player Stats and Box Score
Los Angeles Lakers Match Player Stats
Los Angeles shooting guard Austin Reaves was the best player for the team on the court. The Lakers started with an eight-man rotation. However, Jarred Vanderbilt exited the game halfway with 10 points and 7 rebounds due to injury.
| Players | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3-PT FG | FT | +/- |
| Taurean Prince | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5-10 | 1-2 | 0-0 | -9 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 10 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3-7 | 2-3 | 2-2 | 17 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 16 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6-8 | 0-0 | 4-5 | 3 |
| Austin Reaves | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10-18 | 7-10 | 5-7 | 16 |
| D’Angelo Russell | 16 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5-20 | 4-8 | 2-4 | 4 |
| Max Christie | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3-7 | 1-3 | 2-2 | 10 |
| Rui Hachimura | 15 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5-14 | 3-6 | 2-2 | 4 |
| Christian Wood | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-9 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 2 |
| Jalen Hood-Schifino | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-2 | -2 |
| Maxwell Lewis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Skylar Mays | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Dylan Windler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 |
Boston Celtics Match Player Stats
Jayson Tatum took the most time on the court and scored 23 points in 36:37 minutes. After Tatum, it was Derrick White to played the most time. Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown saw the bench for extended periods.
| Players | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3-PT FG | FT | +/- |
| Jaylen Brown | 8 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4-12 | 0-3 | 0-0 | -20 |
| Jayson Tatum | 23 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8-21 | 5-10 | 2-2 | -12 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 17 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 7-15 | 1-7 | 2-2 | -22 |
| Derrick White | 9 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4-11 | 1-5 | 0-0 | -19 |
| Jrue Holiday | 8 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4-9 | 0-2 | 0-0 | -9 |
| Sam Hauser | 17 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6-11 | 5-9 | 0-0 | 6 |
| Al Horford | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2-6 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 3 |
| Payton Pritchard | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3-6 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 13 |
| Neemias Queta | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 7 |
| Oshae Brissett | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Dalano Banton | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 4 |
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Players Contributions to the Lakers’ Victory
The players made some impressive contributions to the Lakers’ victory. Even without key players like Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Austin Reaves had a great game. He scored a season-high 32 points and hit a career-high seven 3-pointers.
On one of the misses, he fouled, but he still made all three of his free throws. The Lakers ended a two-game losing streak by nailing 19 of 36 3-pointers and holding off the NBA-leading Celtics.
Jaxson Hayes, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura also played crucial roles. It highlights the team’s depth and determination.
Individual Player Performances
Austin Reaves scored a season-high 32 points with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and a career-high 7 3-pointers.
D’Angelo Russell scored the highest assists while Jaxson Hayes most rebounds
In the Lakers’ game, D’Angelo Russell scored 16 points, made 14 assists – the most in the game, and grabbed 8 rebounds. During the game, Jaxson Hayes, who plays in the center position, managed to grab the most rebounds. He scored 16 points.
The young and versatile player Rui Hachimura scored 15 points, along with 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
| Players | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals |
| Austin Reaves | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| D’Angelo Russell | 16 | 8 | 14 | 2 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 16 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| Rui Hachimura | 15 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
Boston Celtics’ Gameplay
For the Celtics, who had 15 turnovers, Jayson Tatum scored 23 points. Boston started the season 20-0 at TD Garden, but since then, it has dropped three of its last five games at home.
“It just happens. Stretches of bad basketball happen,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We can’t sit here and act like we’re too entitled for it to happen to us. It happens. And it’s a matter of how we respond to it and how we work through it.”
In all the first three quarters, the Lakers lead the match. In the fourth quarter, the Celtics came up in the front but it never came within seven points of the lead.
Individual Player’s Contributions
Although Jayson Tatum played the most minutes on the court, he scored 23 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Center Kristaps Porzingis and Sam Hauser each scored 17 points and grabbed 7 and 3 rebounds, respectively. None of the Celtics’ players were able to score in double digits.
| Players | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals |
| Jayson Tatum | 23 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 17 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Sam Hauser | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Payton Pritchard, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown supported the Celtics
Payton Pritchard, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown scored 8 points each for the team. White hit 9 points and 4 rebounds for the NBA’s top-seeded Celtics.
Neemias Queta, who was the 39th overall pick, also displayed his prowess on the court. He delivered a commendable performance with seven points, seven rebounds, and 1 assist.
| Players | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals |
| Payton Pritchard | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jrue Holiday | 8 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Jaylen Brown | 8 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| Derrick White | 9 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Neemias Queta | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Game Highlights
The lopsided Game 2 between the Lakers and the Celtics is due to the Lakers without its best players. The match occurred in the TD Garden of Boston.
In 16 minutes, Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt scored 10 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and had 3 steals, but he stumbled off the floor in the last minute of the first half after Tatum stripped him.
Later, the team reported he was experiencing right foot pain, so he sat out for the rest of the match.
For the first time this season, both James (left ankle injury) and Davis (Achilles tendon issue and left hip spasms) have missed the same game for Los Angeles. Still, the rest of the unaffected youthful Lakers team believed that the game would be a mismatch. The Lakers started the day in ninth place in the Western Conference rankings.
Match Recap
The Lakers made 13 of 24 3-pointers in the first half, demonstrating their mastery of the long shot. In the first two quarters, they also made the Celtics into 12 turnovers. The Lakers had a 60-46 advantage over its opponent by halftime.
In the third quarter, the Celtics came back strong with a 12-2 run, hitting four back-to-back 3-pointers, and reducing the lead to 77-71. Tatum’s energizing play involved diving to the court and tying up Rui Hachimura to force a jump ball.
In the last quarter of the game, the Celtics managed to score 27 points, but unfortunately, they were still short of the points needed to secure a victory against the visiting team.
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