Last month, when the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Boston Celtics, they overcame a big deficit to take a 13-point lead with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter – only to blow their advantage and lose by four points in overtime.
When the two teams faced off in Boston on Saturday, it was a similar story.
Although the Lakers never played well offensively, they took a 54-48 halftime lead on the strength of their defense. They stretched their lead to as many as 11 points, but Boston charged back and forced overtime.
Once there, Los Angeles had itself to blame due to several miscues, which helped lead to a 125-121 loss.
Close losses continue to be a problem for LeBron James and company. They have now dropped four games by five points or less in January alone, while also falling to 10-15 on the road.
LeBron James: A
James continues to play at a ridiculous level at age 38 while nearing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most career points. He scored 41 points on 15-of-30 shooting while adding nine rebounds and eight assists.
The Celtics’ transition defense was on point for much of the game, forcing L.A. into the type of grind-it-out affair it has trouble with, but James was still able to convert 6-of-12 from 3-point range despite limited opportunities to attack the basket and play downhill.
Unfortunately, the referees apparently robbed James and the Lakers at the end of regulation.
With 4.1 seconds left in regulation, James drove the basket, looking to win the game. He missed what would’ve been the game-winning layup, and although replays clearly showed that he got fouled, no call was made.
He was understandably upset, and in the end, L.A. only had itself to blame, as it came down to essentially a five-minute contest afterward.
Troy Brown Jr.: D-
Brown got four rebounds in 27 minutes, but he went just 1-of-7 from the field and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
Thomas Bryant: C+
Bryant did a decent job on the boards with six rebounds in 19 minutes. However, the Lakers couldn’t get him involved on offense, as he got off only one shot attempt and scored just three points.
Story continues
Patrick Beverley:…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lakers-player-grades-another-painful-045850508.html?src=rss
Author : Lebron Wire
Publish date : 2023-01-29 04:58:50
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