Well, that was a basketball game. The shorthanded Lakers didn’t have a chance at all at beating the Celtics.
Boston started red-hot from 3-point range and ended the game hitting 24 from beyond the arc.
Los Angeles appeared exhausted and unable to put up much of a fight. Head coach JJ Redick cleared his bench with 6:38 still left in the game.
So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
Rui Hachimura
29 minutes, 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 5-11 FG, 3-7 3PT, -15
After his iconic game-winner against the Raptors, Hachimura followed that performance up with a dud. He had zero assists, defense was what fans have come to expect from him. Hachimura had a good stretch in the third when LA went on a run, but it was an overall mediocre game from Rui.
Overall, Hachimura will be fine, but this film won’t be part of any of his highlights from this season.
Deandre Ayton
28 minutes, 6 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 3-9 FG, -7
The Lakers needed more offense from Ayton with LeBron James out. He didn’t deliver, and the team got blown out.
Austin Reaves
33 minutes, 36 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 turnovers, 9-18 FG, 3-8 3PT, 15-17 FT, -9
Don’t let Reaves’ final point total fool you, he didn’t show up to start this game. During the first quarter, he had just two points and the Lakers trailed by 22.
Yes, he got into a groove and racked up points later on, but by then it was too little too late. Similar to Hachimura, there’s no need for concern as the slow start was likely due to tired legs. But if we are keeping it real, he didn’t play well.
Jake LaRavia
21 minutes, 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 2-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, -14
With Marcus Smart and Luka Dončić also out, LaRavia got the start in this matchup. He could’ve stepped up and helped the Lakers beat their most hated rival. Instead, he reminded fans why he’s a solid backup, but nowhere near a starting-caliber player.
The Celtics players flew past him so fast you’d think the broadcast was buffering only LaRavia’s movements. His dunk in the third quarter was cool, but beyond that, there wasn’t much to be happy about regarding LaRavia’s game.
Gabe Vincent
30 minutes, 18 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 5-10 FG, 4-8 3PT, 4-4 FT, -20
Throughout the game, Vincent was one of the few Lakers you could depend on to hit his shots. He remained aggressive, and his quick release gave him some good looks even with Boston flying around trying to prevent open jumpers.
Perhaps this game will be a momentum builder for Vincent.
Jaxson Hayes
14 minutes, 3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1-2 FG, 1-2 FT, -16
Hayes just got cardio in this game. I guess he grabbed a couple of rebounds, but didn’t really make an impact.
Adou Thiero
20 minutes, 3 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 0-2 FG, -5
On Friday night, Lakers rookie Thiero learned what it was like to play a team with championship DNA. The result was Theiro being unable to score and having to foul to keep up with Boston’s physicality.
It’s good for him to get these reps and learn, but he clearly wasn’t ready for it.
Dalton Knecht
14 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 foul, 1-5 FG, 0-2 3PT, 3-4 FT, -11
Knecht can’t play defense, and he hit one of his five shot attempts. I mean, what do you want me to say?
Maxi Kleber
16 minutes, 1 rebound, 0-1 FG, +4
Add Kleber’s name to the cardio-only participants for the Lakers in this contest.
Nick Smith Jr.
24 minutes, 13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 foul, 5-10 FG, 3-6 3PT, +2
It seems Smith Jr.’s role on this team is to get into games and let the ball fly. He did that just fine in this one, shooting 50% from the field. Given how poorly everyone else played, Smith Jr. had a solid showing in Boston.
Bronny James, Drew Timme
Both Bronny and Timme played under 10 minutes, so they will not be getting a grade tonight.
I’m not sure what Redick could’ve done to have avoided this scheduled loss. Still, he’s in charge, so I have to grade him based on how his team played. They didn’t have much of a fight from the start, and none of the adjustments he made really flipped a switch.
Friday’s DNPs: Jarred Vanderbilt
Friday’s inactives: Marcus Smart, Luka Dončić, LeBron James
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.