Lakers drop below .500 after loss to the Celtics.
After missing the previous eight games due to an abdominal strain, LeBron James looked near to normal in his comeback. Still, the Lakers' defense continued to suffer as they dropped their third game in a row, falling 130–108 to their historic rival Boston Celtics, putting them below .500 at 8–9.
The Lakers battled to handle Jayson Tatum all night, scoring 37 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to lead the Celtics to victory. Four other Celtics scored in double digits, including Dennis Schröder, who scored 21 points in 34 minutes in his first game against the Lakers since being virtually hung out to dry in free agency after rejecting a significant contract extension from the Lakers last season.
In his first game since November 2, LeBron James looked as healthy as could be expected, scoring 23 points on 10–16 shooting and three made threes in seven attempts while also grabbing six boards and dishing out two assists. James voiced his opinion surrounding the Lakers' current state, reassuring there isn't panic, saying: "There's no level of panic," but says there needs to be a "sense of urgency" every time they hit the floor.
With 31 points, Anthony Davis led the Lakers in scoring, but only 6 rebounds as the Celtics became the latest team to dominate L.A. on the boards this season. When it comes to upgrading the Lakers' defense to where it needs to be, Anthony Davis says effort comes first, followed by communication. "We can be an elite defensive team. We've got great defenders. But we've got to do it as a collective."
After averaging 23 points in three games since his debut, Talen Horton-Tucker struggled to stay consistent in tonight's matchup, scoring just 2 points, failing to hit a field, going 0 for 6 overall.
The Lakers will continue their five-game road trip this Sunday to face the 4–11 Detroit Pistons. With LeBron James back in the lineup from injury, look for the Lakers to bounce back into the win column against a weaker team who's in a rebuilding stage.