rarely a Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers it disappoints. Only injuries or a wide difference in the level of the teams can stop this historic matchup from being one of the best of the night and of the season. In the second head-to-head between the two most successful franchises, the duel was again decided in overtime as it was in December and the result was the same. green victory by 125 to 121.
The Classical The NBA matchup was sensational and above expectations, thanks to Boston’s commitment to avoid a loss that at times seemed possible. Lebron James inspired, Pat Beverley appeared out of nowhere and the casualties of Marcus Smart and Robert Williams were felt.
In fact, there were moments when victory came very close to being painted gold and purple. Specifically I have 14 seconds left, when Beverly He did this:
PAT BEVERLY
YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE ITpic.twitter.com/JZ5twCiRY7
— Sportingnewses Spain 🇪🇸 (@sportingnewses) January 29, 2023
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Then two key actions that determined the rest of the match. First a hit coffee and second, a somewhat questionable defense of it lebron which sent the game into overtime.
Foul on LeBron in the last seconds of the Lakers-Celtics game or not? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/NGXYTM4S1V
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 29, 2023
From there, the Celtics realized the importance of the moment. If they wanted to win, it was necessary to raise the bar, not only defensively, but also physically, forcing their opponents to overcome an impenetrable wall to score. While on defense they forced the Lakers to make mistakes and miss, on offense he appeared as he always does in difficult times: Jaylen Brown.
With 11 points in overtime, the Celtics forward was the light that led his team to victory, preventing LeBron James from celebrating in his final visit to the Garden this season. Thus, the Boston forward certified the victory as his top scorer thanks to 37 points on 13 of 23 attempts (56.5%), 9 rebounds and 3 assists, accompanied by a Jayson Tatum who went from the most to the least, finishing with 30 points and a poor 32% shooting percentage. However, its importance Tatum was more on defense than offense, Just like Horford.
From the Lakers lebron stood on the brink of an epic victory. The legend did it all and appeared upset by the final result as he snapped his fingers in victory at the Garden. Once again James was unlucky to cap off an impressive performance with the award winning, honoring 41 point on 15 of 30 attempts, 9 rebounds and 8 assists.
This was a gritty, old-school game where there were flagrant fouls at the end, where attacking the paint meant going deep into the jungle, and where the little details mattered. But also something to remember with moments like the one when Beverley grabbed a camera to voice her disagreement with a referee’s decision:
Pat Bev wanted the ref to see evidence that LeBron was fouled and got a technical 😭pic.twitter.com/iQZRUbLap0
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 29, 2023
In any case, the game generally surpassed the result, making it clear that the Normal Phase is still worth it for moments like these. Boston snaps its three-game losing streak and rebounds with a win to continue leading the East, while Los Angeles falls to 23-27 in 13th place in the West.
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