Boston – – Lakers guard Patrick Beverley Hold a camera on the field In an effort to show referee Eric Lewis what everyone who watched the replay already knows: LeBron James A missed layup is fouled at the end of regulation.
Rather than take the call, Beverly made a technical foul that gave Boston the lead to start overtime, and the NBA’s leading Celtics went on to beat Los Angeles 125-121 on Saturday night.
“The best player on earth can’t take a call. It’s amazing,” said Lakers coach Darvin Hamm. “As much as you try not to put him on power, it becomes increasingly difficult.”
Jaylen Brown He scored 37, completing a triple play with 4.1 seconds left in regulation and adding 11 more points in overtime to help the Celtics snap a three-game losing streak. Brown added nine rebounds. Jason Tatum He had 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Malcolm Brogdon scored 15 of his 26 points in the second half of a game that featured 19 lead changes – six in the fourth quarter – and 15 tied.
James scored 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. But it was his missed throw at the end of regulation that infuriated the court and left him boiling in his locker afterwards.
“I don’t understand. I don’t understand what we’re doing, and I watch basketball every day,” said James, who sat with a towel covering his head during overtime and barely looked up as he spoke from his locker. “I watch the games every day. One day I don’t see it happening.” For anyone else. It’s just weird.”
Anthony Davis He had 16 points on 10 rebounds, and came off the bench for the second straight game after missing 20 points with a foot injury. Beverley scored 15 goals, giving the Lakers the lead twice in the last minute of the fourth. But he also missed a foul shot that could have taken away, and his technique gave the Celtics the lead to start overtime, and they were never behind again.
“At the end of the day, the players decide that game,” Brown said. “We did plays along the stretch; they made the extended plays. And I thought it was a good game. It was probably one of the biggest games of the last Lakers-Celtics game. And I’m glad we came out on top.”
With Celtics Hall of Famer Paul Pierce cheering on his former team from the sidelines and team announcers — Boston’s Cedric Maxwell and L.A.’s Mikal Thompson — trash-talking in press row, the Celtics swept their old rivals in the two-game season series. There was a vocal group of Lakers fans roaring as the visitors opened up an 11-point lead in the third quarter. But the locals yelled at them when Tatum, who scored 15 in the third period, including three three-pointers, helped erase an 11-point deficit.
Beverly hit a 3-pointer to give the Lakers the lead with 52 seconds left, and then, after Boston tied the game, scored on a kick return that made it 104–102 with 19 seconds to play. But after the Browns missed 3, Beverly missed one of his two free throws. Alhorford He missed 3, and Brown scored on the backhand and had a delayed foul call.
“It was just the madness of the game,” Brown said. “It looked like they might have missed a call on their end towards the end of the game. But that’s just life. They’ll be fine.”
Game one after missing a pair of free throws with 8 seconds left in a one-point game against the Knicks, the Browns hit this game to tie it at 105-all with 4.1 seconds to play. The Celtics (36-15) have the best record in the NBA despite losing their previous three games.
Tip-ins
James is 116 points away from equaling Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA record for career points, 38,387. … Pierce was wearing what appeared to be shamrock pajama pants. … Westbrook missed his first six shots, as the crowd jeered him for shooting, before finishing with 12 points on 4 of 14 shooting. … Brown committed his fifth foul on the first possession of the fourth quarter. …the Celtics beat the Lakers 122-118 in Los Angeles on December 13th. Tatum scored 44 points. Davis scored 37 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. James scored 33 with nine boards and nine assists. …the Celtics were without a guard Marcus Smart And a big guy Robert Williams IIIThey both suffer from a sprained ankle.
next one
Lakers: In Brooklyn on Monday night.
Celtics: In Brooklyn on Wednesday night.
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