Certainly, it wasn’t pretty. By halftime, Boston had erased most of its 18-point first-quarter lead, and the three-pointers — several of which were on ESPN’s halftime list — had been eliminated in big number after the Celtics were down by just 7 points in the first quarter. of 24 on three goals came in two quarters. But in the second half, Boston did what Boston does and overwhelmed the Lakers with a varied offense (each of the five starters had at least 18 points), clean offense (only eight turnovers) and at the same time adequate defense against anyone wasn’t called Anthony. Davis (40 points). ) to beat Los Angeles 68-58 in the second half. What’s it like for a road trip? After losing an overtime thriller to Golden State, the Celtics defeated Western Conference playoff contenders the Kings, Clippers and Lakers. The Clippers had won nine of 10 games before facing Boston. The Celtics beat them by 37 points. The Lakers were days away from winning in Oklahoma City. Boston scored 68 points in the second half. The Celtics have a top-five offense and defense, top-six in the NBA, and an unselfish attitude that makes it all work. The criticism of the three-point shot is partly justified. Going 15 of 47 from three in an early-season loss to Philadelphia was mediocre. Even worse, he missed 41 three-pointers last week against the Warriors. But if the Celtics make a lot of threes (43.3 per game, a league high), they also make a lot of them (37.8%, seventh in the NBA). In fact, no team scores more than the 16.4 points scored by Boston. And when they have threesomes, who stops them? Boston built a 12-point lead in the first three minutes without Celtics MVP candidate Jayson Tatum touching the ball. The five starters entered Monday’s game 14-1, with a net rating of nearly plus-20 points per 100 possessions. “We have so many weapons that it is difficult to prepare them for us,” Kristaps Porzingis said.Porzingis is one of them. The 6-foot-1 big man fit perfectly into the Celtics’ system. On Monday, Porzingis tied a team-high 28 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and made two shots. When Anthony Davis guarded him, Porzingis dragged him “When the Lakers switched, Porzingis punished a smaller defender inside. “We haven’t had a post presence this low since I’ve been with the Celtics,” he said Tatum. “It creates so many problems. Are you going to change us? Are you in decline? I’m just happy to be on this site.The problems may be too big, but this isn’t the start Los Angeles is expecting. The Lakers are 16-15, and while injuries have been a factor – Jarred Vanderbilt missed the start of the season and Gabe Vincent could miss two more months with just five games under his belt – inconsistency, in especially in attack, is greater. The Lakers rank in the bottom third of the NBA in offensive efficiency, in part because of a three-point shooting percentage that falls between San Antonio and Charlotte. The opponents are redoubling their efforts against Los Angeles and the Lakers are incapable of holding them to account. LeBron James said, “We’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to continue to attack every game.”Last summer, Lakers officials emphasized continuity, but Rob Pelinka and Co. have six weeks to decide whether they want to add variety. Zach LaVine is often linked to L.A. – LaVine and James are both represented by Klutch Sports – and if the offensive woes continue, Pelinka may have to decide whether it’s worth acquiring LaVine or a player like him to shake up the team. list.Mazzulla is a lightning rod for criticism, whether it’s Boston’s shot selection or his reluctance to call timeouts. Nevertheless, Mazzulla oversees an elite team in which all players participate. He’s the stuff of coach of the year. The challenge for Mazzulla in the coming months will be to continue the development of the second unit. Payton Pritchard was solid on Monday (10 points) and was excellent in December, hitting 50% of his threes. Sam Hauser has calmed down after a hot start but remains a reliable three-point shooter. Mazzulla mixed and matched big men — Neemias Queta got some early minutes against the Lakers — and tried to find a reliable option after Porzingis and Al Horford. Before the game, I asked Mazzulla about his confidence in the back half of his rotation. “I was confident they would start the year,” Mazzulla said. “Simply because I have seen how they work on a daily basis. They did a great job.” Even in some games, Orlando, Cleveland, they find ways to influence the game with or without the ball. The boys are outside and jumping in. So extremely confident. All of them, because of the work they have done and the mindset they bring with them. They have an extremely professional approach.
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