Tuesday’s game in Los Angeles didn’t wrap up until almost 1 AM ET, but for Celtics fans watching on the East Coast, it was worth the extra cup of Dunkin’ they’ll need this morning, with Boston finishing its six-game road swing in exciting fashion, overcoming a 13-point deficit in the final minutes (after previously blowing a 20-point, third-quarter lead) to stun the Lakers on their home floor. The C’s, coming off consecutive losses to the Warriors and Clippers, were led by a breathtaking performance from MVP frontrunner Jayson Tatum, who paced all scorers with 44 points, none bigger than his game-tying bucket with 17 seconds to go in regulation, putting LeBron James on skates with one of the biggest shots of his career.
ESPN’s win probability chart reads like a cardiogram, an apt metaphor for a game that felt like a treadmill set to its highest speed, a chaos grenade waiting to go off at any second.
Having narrowly avoided what would have been Boston’s worst loss of the season, Celtics alum Paul Pierce either couldn’t contain his excitement or didn’t feel a need to, hooting and hollering from his luxury suite at Crypto.com Arena. The former Finals MVP couldn’t resist taking a shot at his archrival, mocking LeBron by imitating his iconic “silencer” celebration, a finishing move that, during the Celtics’ “Big Three” Era, would often come at Boston’s expense.
Running on fumes from playing three games in a hectic, four-night span, the Celtics, owners of the league’s best record at 22-7, will have a few days to catch their breath before returning home to host the Magic Friday night at TD Garden. The C’s have their fingers crossed that Robert Williams will be available for that game, making his much-anticipated season debut following a months-long recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery.
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