The NBA regular season continued with the Lakers beating the Celtics 114-105 on the road. Prior to this game, the Lakers were 24-25 and ranked 9th in the West, with a poor record of less than 50%. The Celtics, on the other hand, are 37-11 and are the best in the East, No. 1 in the Conference and No. 1 in the league.
This time, the Green Army can be said to have shown real skills, with the full main lineup present, and the home record of 22 wins and 2 losses, which is simply a hellish existence. In contrast, the Lakers are 7-17 on the road, just suffered two consecutive defeats, and even more unfortunately, James and Thick Eyebrows, the second and second core bosses of the Lakers, were absent due to injury. However, how exactly did the Lakers pull off such a big upset on the road? Perhaps, the data can give us some answers.
Speaking of Russell, his performance today was passable, and although his mid-range breakthrough and half-chance for layups were not very good, his three-point crosshairs were definitely eye-catching. The most important thing is that he seamlessly strung together the offense of the Lakers. He made 5 of 20 shots, 4-of-8 from three-point range, and finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 14 assists, 2 steals, and only 1 turnover. In James' absence, Russell stepped up to the top of the Lakers' organization and completed the task perfectly. Under his leadership, all five of the Lakers' starters scored in double figures, a rare feat for the Lakers.
In today's game, Reeves is really in the limelight, and everyone affectionately calls him "The Emperor". Not only did he return as "Wonder Boy" and display a variety of difficult three-point stunts, but he also faced the pressure of the top guard Holiday most of the time as a core ball-handling attacker, only to have a big explosion.
Throughout the game, he shot 10-of-18 from the field, 7-of-10 from three-point range, and easily scored a game-high 32 points, along with 2 rebounds and 3 assists, and what is even more amazing was that there were no turnovers. The plus/minus present is also as high as +17. It can be said that Reaves' excellent performance has somewhat filled the void left by James' absence on the Lakers and brought the team back to life.
Prince, on the other hand, was also a highlight of the game. He was excellent on both the offensive and defensive ends, and he was a hard worker. He made 5 of 10 shots from the field and 1 of 2 three-pointers, contributing a total of 11 points, along with eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block, and there were no turnovers. What's even more rare is that due to Vanderbilt's injury, Prince not only continued to maintain an efficient offense in the second half, but also took on more defensive duties, mainly responsible for defending Tatum, and he also performed quite well. In his nearly 38 minutes of playing time, he showed excellent all-round ability and successfully navigated the various variables of the game.
Vanderbilt, Brother Biao didn't talk much today, but the Lakers stunned people with a double-digit lead in the first half. Biao Ge not only stared at Tatum on the defensive end, but also put a lock on Brown by the way, and the dual core of the Green Army was like being bitten by mosquitoes under his entanglement. Brown, in particular, felt like he couldn't even do a normal dribble. On the offensive end, Brother Biao also fought hard, shooting 3 of 7, 2 of 3 outside the three-point line, carrying 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 turnovers, it is worth mentioning that this is only Brother Biao's performance in the first half of 16 minutes, if he continues to play like this in the second half, maybe he can refresh his personal data to the best of the season.
Hayes, it was a smart choice to start Ham instead of Wood. Hayes's all-around performance is no joke, defense, energy, rebounding, athleticism, all of them are all in one person's hands. Hayes's shooting performance was also very impressive, shooting 6 of 8 from the field, and easily cutting down 16 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Especially the 6 frontcourt rebounds, when the Lakers' starting shooting rate was not high, it all relied on the opportunities that Hayes fought for one by one.
As for Hachimura, he still continued his good hand today, especially his play outside the three-point line. The Green Army launched several counterattacks in the second half, but they were all extinguished by Hachimura's three-point firepower. He shot 5-of-14 from the field, 3-of-6 from three-point range, and contributed 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 2 turnovers. It seems that the data is average, but in fact, Hachimura's scores are all timely rain, one after another at critical moments. Without his play, the Lakers might not have been so easily upset.
On the whole, the Lakers won the game smoothly at the Celtics' home court in the absence of James and thick eyebrows. The defensive rotation of the entire team has become better than ever, dynamic and aggressive. The team's overall performance has become more aggressive. What's even more interesting is that the players are all at their peak.
Not only did Rivers and Hayes both contribute a season-high scoring record to the team, but the other role players also successfully completed their tasks, and the overall understanding was very good. This game was simply an "unexpected surprise", making people feel that the Lakers were even more impressive in the absence of two main players, as if it was a well-planned "unexpected victory", and the team showed unusual cohesion.