The Los Angeles Lakers’ road trip hit a snag Friday night, as a depleted roster fell to the Boston Celtics, 126-105, at TD Garden.
Playing without Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart—both still sidelined—and resting LeBron James on the second half of a back-to-back, Los Angeles (16-6) struggled from the opening tip. Boston capitalized, racing to an 11-3 lead and closing the first quarter up 39-17.
The Celtics continued to pour it on from long range in the second period, stretching the margin to 49-21 before the Lakers called time. Austin Reaves, who had missed his first five attempts, converted two straight layups, and Gabe Vincent added a three-pointer and free throws, but Boston carried a 69-46 advantage into intermission.
Los Angeles hit several early shots in the third quarter, yet Jaylen Brown answered with three consecutive triples, halting any momentum. Reaves scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in that frame, sparking a 9-0 run that trimmed the deficit to 97-82 entering the fourth.
With Reaves on the bench to start the final period, Boston opened on a 9-0 burst and never looked back. Brown finished with 28 points, while Vincent paced the Lakers with 21.
Up next: The Lakers conclude their trip Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, then return to Crypto.com Arena to host the San Antonio Spurs in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals.
Source: LakersNation.com
