Celtics fall to Lakers 114-112 in nailbiter at Staples Center

The Los Angeles Lakers got their revenge against the Boston Celtics at Staples Center Saturday afternoon, edging Boston 114-112 in the two teams’ last meeting of the season.

The Boston Celtics showed up at Staples Center without Kemba Walker available to play to face a Los Angeles Lakers franchise spoiling for revenge.

And they got it, but not without an epic fight.

Guard Marcus Smart started in place of the UConn product sitting with knee soreness, and former Celtic Avery Bradley put L.A. on the board first with a trey after the Lakers won the tip.

An early missed Smart 3-pointer and whiffed free throws by Tatum had Boston looking rusty on both ends of the floor to start as Los Angeles threatened to run away with the game before an open three by Theis got the Celtics into the game.

The first quarter stayed close until late in the frame as the Lakers opened up a nine-point lead off a Kyle Kuzma floater to close  the first, but Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum answered back to cut the lead to 28-24, only to go down 11 soon after.

Tatum started to heat up for Boston as he got the team to within two points by the end of the half, L.A. leading 56-54 at the break.

The third frame began with another Theis 3-pointer to give the Celtics their first lead of the game, and Smart would add another to lend Boston some breathing room.

Boston would build a seven-point lead as Tatum stayed hot, scoring 18 in the frame.

The lead wouldn’t hold though as the Lakers would battle back to tie it late in the third despite the Duke product’s heroics, and would retake it briefly before the end of the penultimate quarter.

The game stayed tight throughout start of fourth, but a late three by big man Anthony Davis gave Los Angeles a 108-105 lead with roughly two minutes remaining.

A key technical foul on head coach Brad Stevens as Tatum was shoved out of bounds handed Boston’s opponents a three-point lead, and the Lakers would hang on to win 114-112.

The game was close throughout almost the entire contest, and Tatum’s offensive explosion in the second and third quarters should have opposing general managers very nervous.

That Boston nearly came out of Staples Center with a win despite being down Walker is promising even in the sting of defeat, and if these two teams are lucky enough to meet again this season, the rivalry hinted at in their last two meetings will be in full bloom again.

Boston was led by Tatum matching his career high 41 points (on 12-of-20 shooting, no less), Jaylen Brown scoring 20 points and 6 rebounds and 16 points and 9 boards from center Daniel Theis, who fouled out late.

The Lakers saw huge outings from stars Anthony Davis (32 points, 13 rebounds) and LeBron James (29 points, 8 boards and 9 assists).

Kyle Kuzma had 16 points off the bench for the Lakers — more than Boston’s entire bench combined.

That last fact will need addressing internally or via a buyout option if the Celtics want to compete at the highest level, but with the March 1 playoff eligibility deadline for buyouts just around the corner, time for that route is rapidly running out.

The Boston Celtics next face the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 10pm ET at Moda Center in Portland.

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