5 takeaways from the Boston Celtics 117-102 loss vs. the Los Angeles Lakers
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The Boston Celtics lost a tough game against the Los Angeles Lakers last night, 117-102. After a hot start from Jayson Tatum, things began to turn south fairly quickly. Los Angeles quickly ran away with things in the second half. What are some of the top takeaways from the contest?
Takeaways from the Boston Celtics loss vs. the Los Angeles lakers
1. Defensive regression
The C’s have allowed at least 115 points in three straight games. They have only surrendered that many points four other times this season combined outside of those games. Something is seriously wrong with the defense, and it all starts in the paint. Over the last three games, Boston has allowed 52.0 points in the paint per game on average. Last night against the Lakers, they gave up 66. The defensive duo of Robert Williams and Al Horford can’t do it all. Boston needs to shore up their defense and fast. LeBron James absolutely killed them in the paint, as did the rest of the Lakers.
2. Jayson Tatum needs help
Earlier in the season, Tatum was struggling to score efficiently. Now, he’s the only one that can seem to do it. Tatum scored 14 points in the first quarter last night. No other Celtics player had 14 points in the entire game combined. Williams was second in the box score with 13. Horford, Marcus Smart, and Dennis Schroder combined to shoot 6-22 (27.3 percent) from the field last night. It was an ugly offensive performance all-around, and the only reason Boston cracked 100 points was because of Tatum’s 34.
3. Rebounding
Boston could not buy a rebound last night. The Lakers out-rebounded them 51-34 on the night, including 38-27 on the defensive glass. Every time the C’s managed to put together a quality defensive possession, it felt as though the ball would end up right back in Los Angeles’ lap. No one on the Celtics finished with more than eight rebounds, and only two players had over four. Simply put, the C’s need to be more active on the boards.
4. Weird rotations
Jaylen Brown is out, so things are going to be a bit weird, but the rotations Ime Udoka was rolling out just seemed like a bit of a mess. Schroder played from the midway point of the first quarter all the way until the fourth. Williams only played seven minutes in the second half. There was even a point in the fourth where Tatum, Smart, and Horford were running with Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith. The C’s weren’t even out of the game at that point. The choices just seemed odd, especially in a game where the Lakers left the door wide open for a comeback.
5. Robert Williams is phenomenal
The one positive from the game is the fact that Williams is an absolute menace. He postered Anthony Davis at least four times throughout the game, and each was more entertaining than the last. His hops are out of this world - literally. Every time Williams elevates his head gets above the rim by a mile. He’s truly a joy to watch.
The Celtics’ next game will be tomorrow when they take on the LA Clippers at STAPLES Center on night two of a back-to-back. The game tips off at 10:30 p.m. (EST) and can be streamed on NBC Sports Boston and NBA League Pass.
