Lakers down the Celtics after second-half surge.
The Lakers improved their record to 13–12 with a huge 117–102 second-half victory over the Boston Celtics, courtesy to a strong performance by their big three, who combined for 71 points.
After outscoring the Celtics 31–20 in the third quarter, the Lakers went into the fourth quarter with a 91–75 advantage, making it difficult for the Celtics to get within reach.
According to head coach Frank Vogel, the Celtics have had the league's second-highest offensive rating over the previous 10 games, praising the Lakers starting unit's defensive efforts, saying: "We learn about our group a little bit every game. Very proud of the defensive performance tonight."
With the Lakers' big three combining for 71 points on the night, Lebron James was the group's leading scorer, scoring 30 points on 13 of 19 (68%) from the floor, adding 5 assists and 4 rebounds with a plus/minus of +18.
James spoke on the Lakers' efforts on both ends in tonight's victory, saying: "I just like the way we competed tonight on both sides of the floor. Anytime we're able to get stops like that, we're a very good team."
Russell Westbrook continued his hot streak in tonight's game, scoring 15 points in the 3rd quarter that helped boost the Lakers lead into a win, finishing second for the Lakers in scoring with 24 points on 9 of 16 (56%) shooting overall, adding 11 assists and a plus/minus of +11 in his efforts.
Frank Vogel spoke on the most consistent thing with Russell Westbrook so far this season, saying: "Pace and paint attack. He's relentless on attacking the basket."
Anthony Davis was a force on the glass in the victory, grabbing 16 rebounds and scoring 17 points on 7 of 13 (54%) shooting. He also had a pair of blocks and steals with a plus/minus of +17.
The Lakers will travel to Memphis to face the 14–10 Grizzlies On Thursday with the start of back-to-back road trips, facing the Oklahoma City Thunder right after on Friday.