In this NBA Christmas battle full of gunpowder, the Lakers-Celtics matchup takes center stage. However, the game ended in a painful loss as the Lakers lost 115-126 at home to the Celtics. James was at an injury slump, and although the thick eyebrows scored 40 points, they couldn't turn the defeat around. The Celtics' big three of Brown, Tatum and Porzingis shined on the line, and their performances helped the team to three straight wins.
At the beginning of the game, the Lakers fell into passivity, and the Celtics quickly hit a dream 12-0 start to push their opponents into a corner. Even though Bushy Eyebrows and Reddish saved some points in the first quarter, the Lakers were still unable to withstand the powerful onslaught of the Celtics' bench in the second quarter. The Celtics' rotation was excellent, with Pritchard's three-pointer in stark contrast to the Lakers' only scorer, Bushy Eyebrows. James' collision with Brown exacerbated the Lakers' woes, and Prince's three-point shot became the only support, helping the Lakers narrow the gap to single digits at halftime.
In the second half, the two sides continued to be in a stalemate, and Porzingis rose to prominence on the inside as a pillar of Celtic's scoring. Prince's three-point response maintained the Lakers' momentum, but the Celtics' inside and outside combination gradually became more powerful and widened the difference. At the beginning of the final quarter, the Lakers were far behind, while the Celtics firmly sealed the victory through Xia Huijuan's shot, veteran Horford's three points and Brown's 2+1. The suspense of the game faded away, and the Lakers ended up losing the game at home.
After the game, the Celtics showed an extremely strong side, with all six players scoring double-doubles, and Porzingis showed his dominance with 28 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Bronde'o contributed 19 points, Tatum was well-rounded with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, and Holiday also had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and they all built a perfect victory. In stark contrast to the Lakers, James' 16 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists showed his slump, although he still contributed 37 minutes through injury. Bush's 40 points, while eye-catching, could not make up for the team's lack of second scoring point, and Prince played well but could not reverse the disadvantage of the game.
Overall, the Lakers lost in this battle of focus, and the Celtics won three in a row with excellent overall play. The Lakers looked struggling against the Celtics' formidable rotation lineup, and the team was limited by opponents on both the offensive and defensive ends. James' injury has exacerbated the Lakers' woes, and the lack of a second scoring point has also manifested itself in the game. On the contrary, the teamwork of the Celtics and the play of the core players form a strong synergy, which gives them a clear advantage in this big battle. The Lakers need to reflect on this loss and adjust their tactics and team form to better meet the challenges ahead.