The Boston Celtics may have lost a hard-fought battle against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, but they played a very solid game–especially without Kemba Walker. The C’s can learn from this loss and make the necessary improvements before the playoffs.
Pushing aside some questionable officiating, here are two positive takeaways from the Boston Celtics loss to Los Angeles.
Jayson Tatum has arrived:
Jayson Tatum has already proved to be a young star in the league, but yesterday we saw something different. We saw a version of Tatum that was not afraid of the big stage and actually looked like the best player on a court that included LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
I believe Tatum is the centerpiece of this team, but with Walker out, he had to step up even more. With the heavy load on his shoulders, Tatum delivered one of the best statistical performances of his career.
Tatum tied a career-high with 41 points off of 12-20 shooting from the field and 13-15 shooting from the free throw line. The Lakers could not find an answer for Tatum no matter who they threw on him.
What is especially encouraging is the maturity Tatum showed throughout the game. Tatum’s patience, shot selection and overall demeanor is what led to his incredible performance.
It was just one of those games where it felt like he would score every time he touched the ball. Tatum displayed a very tight handle and kept defenders on their heels with pump fakes, crossovers and spin-moves.
It is crucial that Tatum keeps his momentum rolling through the rest of the season, especially the playoffs. I’m not saying he has to drop 40 points a game, but he needs to bring the same level of maturity that we saw in the game against the Lakers.
If Tatum can rise to the level of James and Davis, he can certainly rise to the level of the best players in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics held their ground in the post:
The Boston Celtics are undersized in general, but big, physical teams like the Lakers present even more of a challenge. However, Boston used its athleticism to hang tight with Los Angeles.
While Tatum was a star on offense, I was impressed with the rest of the starting five on the defensive end. Starting with Jaylen Brown who fearlessly took on the role of defending James for much of the game.
Although James got the last laugh with that fade-away jump shot, Brown showed flashes of potential while guarding him. Brown led Boston with 3 steals and contributed significantly on offense as well.
Daniel Theis also deserves some praise as the starting center of this team. Los Angeles’ rotation of trees including Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard is a tough matchup for any big man.
Although Theis and the Boston Celtics couldn’t slow down Davis, they made it tough on him at times and did not allow him to singlehandedly win the game.
With significant contributions from Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart, the Celtics stayed within 2 rebounds of the much bigger Lakers. Brad Stevens recognized that the smaller lineup was working and that could explain why Enes Kanter played just 5 minutes.
Obviously, the Celtics’ game plan will change based on its opponent, but it is encouraging to see them compete against one of the biggest and most talented teams in the NBA.