Celtics cruise past shorthanded Lakers, 126-105, to win 4th straight

With Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Marcus Good all sidelined, this watered-down model of Celtics-Lakers didn’t carry fairly the identical weight as many others through the years.

However, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jordan Walsh and Payton Pritchard ensured Celtics followers nonetheless bought their cash’s price. Brown led the way in which with 30 factors, 8 rebounds and eight assists. White added 19 factors, Walsh 17 and Pritchard 15 to focus on a convincing all-around effort.

The Celtics, who’ve now gained 9 of 11, saved it rolling with a convincing, 126-105, triumph Friday night time at TD Backyard.

After throttling the lowly Wizards by 45 in Washington the night time prior, Boston maintained its standing as probably the greatest groups in basketball in latest weeks. The Lakers nonetheless had Austin Reaves (36 factors) and Deandre Ayton, they usually’re at the moment the No. 2 seed within the West, so this was no cakewalk on paper.

The Celtics (14-9) jumped out to an early 19-7 lead, as White splashed three 3-pointers and Brown discovered Walsh inside for an and-one. Anfernee Simons and Josh Minott saved it rolling, serving to Boston take a commanding 39-17 edge by 1.

Boston shot 64 p.c and racked up 13 assists on 14 discipline targets. The Lakers (16-6) shot simply 23 p.c and had three assists. Brown, who completed the quarter with 4 assists, breezed previous defenders and made the additional go for layups and three’s.

With James (sciatica/arthritis), Doncic (start of kid) and Good (again) all sidelined, the Lakers seemed misplaced on each ends. The Celtics took benefit, spraying the ball round and persistently turning down good pictures for excellent ones.

Rui Hachimura and the Lakers made a little bit of noise late within the half, however Walsh and Sam Hauser completed sturdy as Boston preserved a 69-46 edge heading to the break. The Celtics didn’t take their shorthanded opponent flippantly and performed with starvation, poise and power.

Brown caught fireplace early within the third, matching White’s mark within the first half with three straight triples. Lakers coach JJ Redick blended and matched, looking for solutions, but the Lakers remained overmatched regardless of which buttons he pressed.

The Lakers made a mini run to chop it to 17 halfway by the quarter earlier than the Celtics answered with a deep Pritchard 3 and Brown layup to reclaim momentum. After a 36-28 Los Angeles third quarter, Boston led, 97-82, by three. Brown paced the Celtics with 15 within the third, scoring greater than half their factors.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla went small to begin the fourth, with Josh Minott and Walsh on the market collectively, and the Celtics prolonged the margin to 103-82 with 9:55 remaining. White bought an especially fortuitous position on one other 3, because the ball soared excessive within the air, hit the rim twice, then fell by the ring.

Reaves continued to attempt to will the Lakers again, however Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez supplied the ending touches on a easy Celtics win.

Subsequent up is a matchup with the Raptors, this Sunday at 3:30 p.m., in Toronto.