The Los Angeles Lakers produced an upset at the TD Garden by defeating the Boston Celtics 114-105. Despite the unavailability of their star players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the visitors rose to the occasion to humble the hosts. The dominant display excited Skip Bayless as the sports analyst quoted a Lakers legend while praising their gameplay.
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After taking a 14-point lead by the end of the first half, the away team brilliantly held onto it in the following half. The endeavours of Austin Reaves left an impeccable impact in the process as the shooting guard recorded 32 points in 35 minutes. Alongside that, the starting point guard D’Angelo Russell caught the eyes with a double-double of 16 points, 14 assists, and 8 rebounds.
This commanding display from the seeming underdogs delighted Bayless as he expressed his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter).
“No LeBron. No AD. No problem for Austin Reaves and the Lakers, playing with pride at Boston. As James Worthy just said on the Lakers’ postgame show, ‘We spanked that Celtics a**,'” the 72-year-old mentioned.
No LeBron. No AD. No problem for Austin Reaves and the Lakers, playing with pride at Boston. As James Worthy just said on the Lakers’ postgame show, “We spanked that Celtics ass.” Celts are now 22 and THREE at home.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) February 2, 2024
His words thus were an extension of the earlier comments of the franchise icon James Worthy after the latter made the headlines. In a post-game show, the 3x champion declared the same before displaying it through a gesture.
@GoldenKnightGFX pic.twitter.com/fOgouHpq4L
— MBA (@marquesanthony6) February 2, 2024
The 62-year-old later took things a step further as he unexpectedly celebrated the win. The Big Game danced on the sets of the studio after being unable to hide his emotions following the triumph.
LMAOOOO @JamesWorthy42 pic.twitter.com/xBRy3hoMnR
— GoldenKnight (@GoldenKnightGFX) February 2, 2024
This put into perspective the significance of the rivalry between the NBA franchises since the inception of the league. Despite the ongoing form, this fixture carried the volume to turn the tide around for the rest of the campaign. For an inconsistent Lakers side thus the win had immense importance as they aimed to improve their win percentage after this.
How the Los Angeles Lakers coped in the absence of LeBron James
The 39-year-old failed to feature in the clash because of his struggles with the left ankle injury. Davis was also sidelined due to his Achilles tendon problems putting the pressure entirely on the rotation players. Evidently, the roster stepped up to the occasion as they collectively outperformed the title contenders.
Reaves played a key role in the triumph as he continued with his impressive recent form. The 25-year-old shot 55.5% from the field while scoring 70% from behind the arc. Russell provided him with adequate support while facilitating the plays for his team. Jaxson Hayes impressed as a center while Rui Hachimura caught the eye as a bench player.
