With LeBron James and Luka Doncic both out, the Lakers were always going to need someone to shoulder a star-level workload, and Austin Reaves did everything he could to keep them afloat. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, his big night wasn’t nearly enough to prevent a 105-126 loss to a Celtics team that fired on all cylinders from the jump.
Boston buried the Lakers under a wave of threes, played with far better rhythm, and exposed just how thin L.A.’s margin for error becomes when its stars aren’t available. Reaves carried the offense, and a few role players had brief flashes, but the collective effort simply couldn’t match Boston’s firepower or consistency.
Austin Reaves: A+
Game Stats: 36 PTS, 3 REB, 8 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 9-18 FG, 3-8 3PT, 15-17 FT, 33 MIN
Reaves played like a guy who knew there was nobody else coming to save the offense, and he made sure he did his part. Reaves started off the game by getting others involved, but he eventually took on the scoring load and ended with an impressive 36 points on 50% shooting from the field. The Lakers desperately needed Reaves to score a ton of points, but even when he did, they were blown out. Heaven forbid that Reaves couldn’t play tonight because the game would have likely been an embarrassment.
Gabe Vincent: B
Game Stats: 18 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 5-10 FG, 4-8 3PT, 4-4 FT, 30 MIN
Vincent’s shooting is really what gave the Lakers any early push. Every time Boston threatened to blow things open before halftime, he was the guy who knocked down a big three to slow the bleeding. Outside of his scoring, though, he didn’t have a big imprint – he wasn’t orchestrating much, and defensively he got dragged into some tough mismatches. Still, considering how thin the Lakers were, 18 efficient points from him were a meaningful boost.
Rui Hachimura: B-
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 7 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 5-11 FG, 3-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, 29 MIN
Hachimura had a handful of moments where he settled into his spots and drilled threes that L.A. badly needed, but he never quite took over physically the way you’d hope when the stars are out. His rebounding held steady, but on defense he struggled staying in front of Boston’s wing scorers, and when the offense stalled, he couldn’t consistently create something out of nothing. Solid effort – just not enough to change the trajectory of the game.
Nick Smith Jr.: B-
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 5-10 FG, 3-6 3PT, 0-0 FT, 24 MIN
Smith came in firing, and honestly, that was exactly what the Lakers needed. His shotmaking gave the second unit a pulse, especially during moments when Boston pushed the lead into uncomfortable territory. Defensively, he made two nice plays jumping passing lanes, but he also got put on an island more than once by Boston’s perimeter scorers. Still, for a young guard in a tough spot, he gave the Lakers competent, confident minutes.
Deandre Ayton: C
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 10 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 3-9 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 28 MIN
Ayton grabbed plenty of boards and held his own physically, but his scoring touch just wasn’t there. He got a handful of looks you’d normally expect him to finish, yet they rimmed out or got bothered by Boston’s help. Defensively, the Celtics kept dragging him into space, which limited his ability to anchor the paint. He wasn’t ineffective, but the Lakers badly needed more offense from him, and it never arrived.
Jaxson Hayes: C
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 4 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 1-2 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-2 FT, 14 MIN
Hayes gave the usual energy: a couple of contests, a steal, and some rugged activity on the boards. But Boston’s spacing put him in tough spots defensively, and he never found a stretch where his presence shifted the flow of the game. His minutes were fine, just not particularly influential in either direction.
Dalton Knecht: C
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1-5 FG, 0-2 3PT, 3-4 FT, 14 MIN
Knecht looked a bit out of rhythm from the moment he checked in. His jumper was flat, Boston’s defense took away his downhill lanes, and he never quite adjusted. Credit to him for staying aggressive and getting to the line, but this was one of those nights where nothing came easy and the Celtics didn’t give him the oxygen he usually needs to impact the game.
Jake LaRavia: C
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL, 0 BLK, 2-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, 21 MIN
LaRavia’s defense stood out more than anything – three steals, a few pokes that disrupted Boston’s rhythm, and solid effort in passing lanes. But offensively he never found his spots. The threes were off, and he didn’t generate much pressure with drives or cuts. His defensive energy was helpful, but the Lakers needed scoring from somewhere, and he wasn’t able to fill that void.
Adou Thiero: D+
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-2 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 20 MIN
Thiero played with plenty of activity, which is always the starting point for him, but Boston’s defense completely neutralized him. He never found clean looks, didn’t create anything off the bounce, and was mostly limited to rebounding and hustle plays. The effort was fine – the impact just wasn’t there.
Maxi Kleber: D
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 16 MIN
Kleber had one of those nights where he blended into the background a bit too much. He wasn’t making shots, didn’t get many touches, and defensively he held position but didn’t influence anything near the rim. In a game where L.A. needed someone to give them an unexpected jolt, he wasn’t able to provide it.
Drew Timme: N/A
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 7 MIN
Timme’s brief stint actually had some nice moments – the passing especially. He found teammates for easy looks and made the right reads. But with no scoring threat and limited speed on defense, the Lakers couldn’t keep him out there long. His minutes were more about getting through rotations than changing the game.
Bronny James: N/A
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 0 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 2-3 FG, 1-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, 7 MIN
Bronny didn’t see the floor until the game was basically settled, but he maximized what he got. He knocked in a corner three, finished a clean transition layup, and even picked up a steal by jumping a passing lane. For a short cameo in a tough gym, he looked composed and ready – exactly what you’d hope to see from a young guard fighting for minutes.
