Boston winger Jaylen Brown sat comfortably on the bench awaiting the final buzzer, with 36 points. His Celtics, far ahead in the fourth quarter (113-86, 41st), only had to finish the job on the floor of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, facing the still decimated Lakers, deprived of their duo LeBron James ( ankle) and Anthony Davis (Achilles tendon).
The unlikely comeback
But when we thought the game was over, the Lakers, from the hands of Alfonzo McKinnie (10 points, 4 of 6) and Ben McLemore (17 points, 7 of 12 shooting), fomented an improbable comeback – 24 to 2 in 5 minutes -, between distant banderillas, baskets with a fault and a few dunks, including that of McLemore who shattered the circle and brought his people together in one breath (105-110).
A situation forcing Brad Stevens, still deprived of Evan Fournier (Covid protocol), to revive Brown. A lay-up passing the ball behind his back and a float in traffic later, the case was definitely folded (121-113). Brown finished the game with 40 points (2 points off his record with Boston), scored with an incredible 17 of 20 shooting skill (3/5 to 3 points), along with 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 stray bullets.
Five other Boston players reached ten points, without exceeding fifteen – Tatum, Pritchard, Smart, Thompson, Walker – in a game where the Lakers’ defensive apathy allowed Stevens’ men to shoot at 56.5 %, to dominate on the rebound (48-36) and to win despite 21 stray balls.
The Lakers, with a Caldwell-Pope – Matthews tandem held at 2/14 in shooting, having to get the points on the bench (19 from Talen Horton-Tucker), Marc Gasol also taking advantage of the absences of Andre Drummond and Markieff Morris to regain color (18 points), lacked leaders and ideas. Good news, Anthony Davis has been allowed to resume training with contact and could return to competition next week.
85 %
Jaylen Brown’s shooting percentage, making him the first Celtic in history to score at least 40 points with such skill
The Celtics, who have just successively dropped, outside, Denver (105-87), Portland (116-115) and the LA Lakers, have a fifth success, the seventh in eight matches, and take advantage of the defeat of Atlanta at home against Milwaukee to join the fourth-placed Hawks in the East (30 wins – 26 losses). The podium and the Bucks still seem out of reach (35-20) but, after a sinusoidal start to the season, Boston is finally in the right direction.
The LA Lakers, who have alternated metronomically between wins and losses for ten games, remain fifth (34-22) ahead of Portland (31-23).
Radiant Suns
Facing Sacramento, the Phoenix Suns will have struggled even in money-time, but finally enforced logic against the desperate Kings (9 losses in a row, 12th in the West), only winners of the evening at home (122 -114) thanks to the immaculate game of DeAndre Ayton (26 points to 10 of 11 in shooting, 11 rebounds), well followed by Devin Booker (23 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists) and the master to play Chris Paul (13 points 11 passes).
Winners of fourteen of their last sixteen matches, the Suns consolidate their unexpected second place in the West and put great pressure on the Utah Jazz of Rudy Gobert, still leader, but by a short head (41-14 against 40-15 ) before facing Indiana the next night, then the LA Lakers on Saturday and Tuesday.