Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Lakers: The Call That Never Came Helps Boston Rally to Sweep LA
When LeBron James barreled his way downhill with the game tied at 105 and the final seconds ticking off the clock, undoubtedly, there was contact.
But the officials swallowed their whistle, prompting an irate James to smash the hardwood with both hands, then fall to the TD Garden parquet in disbelief.
After the game, it didn't take long for the NBA to determine James should've gone to the free-throw line, where he would've had a chance to give his team a far more palatable outcome.
It's not easy for a team to regain its focus after a moment like that, and it helped the Celtics jump out to a 113-107 lead in the first minute of overtime.
That included Patrick Beverley bringing a camera to an official in-between the end of regulation and the fifth frame, resulting in a technical and a Jayson Tatum free throw that gave Boston a one-point edge before overtime got underway.
The advantage the hosts built in the beginning stages of the final five minutes created a crucial cushion as they staved off the Lakers, earning a sweep of their regular-season series with the purple and gold.
Now, a deep dive into what stood out as the Celtics rallied for a 125-121 win in a matchup showcasing the NBA's most iconic rivalry.
Jaylen Brown and LeBron James Pace Their Respective Teams in Low-Scoring First Frame
What stood out the most in the opening 12 minutes was how aggressively both teams operated offensively.
In a quarter featuring plenty of physicality, both teams were at their best when attacking downhill.
The Celtics shot 3/11 from beyond the arc but produced 12 of their 28 points in the paint. The Lakers went 2/10 on threes but manufactured 14 of their 27 inside the painted area.
The players exemplifying that were Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. The two led all scorers, putting ten points on the board. The latter generated six at the rim, including an and-one off of an inbound from the baseline, and the former had four points at the cylinder plus a floater from 13 feet.
While Los Angeles trailed by one entering the second quarter, with Anthony Davis providing six points off the bench, including finishing off an alley-oop from Russell Westbrook in the period's final seconds, the purple and gold held a 10-3 advantage in second-unit scoring.
That's worth monitoring as the night goes on. Boston, playing shorthanded for the fourth-straight matchup, has been burned by a lack of bench production during this three-game losing streak.
Lakers' Bursts Propel Them to Halftime Lead
The Celtics got off to an 8-0 start to the second frame, including Jayson Tatum driving to the cup for a finger roll, helping Boston build a 36-27 lead.
The hosts kept the Lakers off the scoreboard until Lonnie Walker IV found Rui Hachimura for a reverse layup at the 8:24 mark, trimming the deficit to seven.
With the ice broken, Los Angeles staged an 11-0 run. That included Hachimura's layup. James scored or assisted on six of those points, including powering his way to a dunk and a drive that created one for Thomas Bryant.
When Bryant capped the Lakers' 11-0 burst by grabbing the rebound off a James missed jumper, leading to a trip to the free-throw line where he went 1/2, the purple and gold claimed a 38-36 edge with 5:39 left in the first half.
Just over two minutes later, Davis picked up his third foul when he got overaggressive trying to pick off a baseline inbound thrown out to Al Horford well above the arc.
He stayed in the game, but along with the risk of getting four fouls in the first half, he helped out a Boston offense struggling to score.
While the Celtics only generated four second-chance points to the Lakers' 12 in the first 24 minutes, Derrick White earned two in highlight reel fashion, flying in to clean up a Grant Williams missed layup, tipping the ball off the backboard while airborne, getting the hosts the lead back, 45-43.
But an 11-3 counterpunch by Los Angeles to end the second quarter gave the purple and gold a 54-48 advantage at halftime.
Brown had a team-high 13 points, while Tatum had eight at the break. Both struggled to find their rhythm, with the former faring 5/12 from the field, including 1/6 from beyond the arc, and the latter going 2/9 and missing all four threes he hoisted.
Boston produced 18 points in the paint, and its opportunities to run the floor, including 12 fast-break points, helped keep the Celtics close in a half they shot 40.5 percent from the field.
That includes going 4/19 (21.1 percent) from long range. The issue wasn't taking bad shots, it was launching a lot of threes out of rhythm.
While the Lakers only converted on 42.9 percent of their field goals in a first half where both teams can be proud of their defense, the visitors found balance with 28 points in the paint, aided by their effort on the offensive glass.
More Transition Opportunities Spark Celtics' Offense in the Third Quarter
In need of energy, Joe Mazzulla opted to start Malcolm Brogdon at the beginning of the second half. With him replacing Grant Williams in the starting lineup, on top of the advantages of going small, it made it easier to manage the front-court rotation for a team missing Robert Williams.
The Lakers also made a change, starting Davis to open the third quarter.
While the Celtics are known for their slow starts to the second half this season, that wasn't the case Saturday, as Horford earned two points on a put-back, White swatted a Dennis Schroder layup, and Brown threw down a thunderous one-handed transition jam.
On Los Angeles' following trip down the floor, Horford rejected a Davis layup attempt, leading to White generating a trip to the free-throw line, where he went 2/2, tying the game at 54.
But shortly after that, the visitors staged a 9-0 run, with James burying a pair of threes and Patrick Beverley knocking one down from the left wing, giving Los Angeles a 65-56 edge.
But with Tatum getting more aggressive in the second half of the quarter, the Celtics fought their way back into the game.
The four-time All-Star buried the pull-up three shown above, then went to the rim for a layup that didn't go down. He clapped his hands at the nearest official in frustration, but Boston got the stop without him, leading to Brogdon sending an outlet pass to him.
With him sprinting to the cylinder, his transition layup didn't go down, but he got fouled by Dennis Schroder. The latter expressing his disagreement with the call resulted in a technical and three more points for Tatum. It also pulled Boston within five, 73-68.
Luke Kornet then found Tatum for a reverse layup, the latter's only points at the rim in the period.
That ignited a 9-0 crowd that brought the TD Garden crowd to life.
Feasting off turnovers, Brogdon got a layup, White had a dunk, and Brogdon buried a three off a missed layup by Westbrook. That gave the Celtics a 77-75 lead with 2:15 to play in the frame.
Westbrook also had an eventful sequence, where he charged downhill for a layup that sent him crashing to the hardwood. While he made the shot, the combination of no foul call and hurting his hand left him frustrated and Tatum open for three.
When Los Angeles got the ball back, he again went full steam ahead to the rim, only to get thwarted by Kornet.
But the quarter ended on a Hachimura transition jam, as Davis lifted an outlet pass over Tatum's outstretched arm, tying the game at 81 entering the final frame.
Celtics Rally to Force Overtime
An early 12-3 run by the Lakers, including a James pull-up three and four-straight points by Schroder, positioned Los Angeles with a 93-86 advantage with 7:26 remaining.
After Brown picking up his fifth foul in the period's first minute sent him to the bench, Joe Mazzulla took a timeout less than 30 seconds after Schroder gave the purple and gold that 93-86 lead, using it to bring Brown back in.
He responded with Boston's following four points, and when he found Horford open on the left wing for a three, it cut the Lakers' lead to 96-95 with 4:20 left.
A high ball screen from Tatum for Brogdon led to the latter burying a three for the next points from either side, giving the Celtics a 98-96 edge with 3:09 to play.
Suddenly, a Boston team that was ice-cold from beyond the arc was 3/7 (42.9 percent) in the final 12 minutes.
But with 51.1 seconds left, James dished to Beverley, who buried an open three from the right wing, putting Los Angeles ahead 102-100. The fiery guard has had an impressive shooting performance and is now 3/6 from beyond the arc, accounting for nine of his 12 points.
And after Brogdon fought his way to the free-throw line, where he tied the game at 102, Beverley swooped in for a put-back slam on a missed three by Davis, causing a roar from the Lakers fans in attendance as the purple and gold took a 104-102 lead with 18.6 seconds remaining.
And while Brown got an open look at a three off a sideline inbound following a Boston timeout, the shot wouldn't go, forcing the hosts to foul Beverley with 14.8 seconds on the clock.
But Beverley going 1/2 left the door open, and Brown took advantage, snagging the rebound off a missed corner three by Horford and finishing a put-back through contact. The whistle came as late as this author's ever seen, much to the delight of one side and disbelief of the other.
Brown, who missed two free throws to tie or take the lead late in the Celtics' overtime loss to the Knicks on Thursday, stepped to the line and swished it, tying the game at 105 with four seconds left.
James then plowed downhill for a layup that didn't go down. Irate at the lack of a foul call, he smashed the hardwood with enough force to generate a thud heard from the ninth-floor press box.
The game ending on a technical for that would be cheap, but if it happens at any other point, even if it's James, it's a technical.
Boston Prevails in Fifth Frame
The Lakers did receive a technical well after the play as Beverley took a professional camera and brought it over to an official to show him James got fouled.
Tatum knocked down the free throw, and the hosts started the fifth frame with a 106-105 lead.
Boston then won the tip, and Tatum found Brown, cutting from the opposite wing, for an alley-oop layup attempt that didn't go down but netted him a trip back to the free-throw line.
Brown went 1/2, extending the hosts' advantage to 107-105.
After James and Brown traded layups, the latter buried a three from the right wing, giving the Celtics a 113-107 edge with 4:08 to play.
About a minute later, Westbrook came flying in to clean up a James missed layup, fouling Grant Williams out in the process.
But with Westbrook missing the ensuing free throw, the lead stayed at four.
And after a Tatum layup gave Boston a 117-112 lead, in a concerning sequence that also gave the Lakers their best opportunity to tie the game, a Tatum turnover turned into Brogdon fouling Westbrook as the latter went up for a layup.
Westbrook's momentum, coupled with the contact, sent him crashing head-first into a camera. He stayed down for a while but shook it off and capitalized on both free throws.
The call, upgraded to a flagrant one upon review, also gave Los Angeles the ball back. But Westbrook, open in the corner -- not by accident -- couldn't tie the game at 117.
A pull-up jumper by Brown from 18 feet then helped the Celtics close out their sweep of their regular-season series against their rival from the west coast.
Up Next
The Celtics host the Nets on Wednesday. The game tips off at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
The Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Lakers Game
Boston Fans May Not Want to Look at NBA's L2M Report from Celtics-Lakers OT Showdown
