BSJ Game Report: Celtics 107, Lakers 96 - Aron Baynes leads the way

Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 107-96 win over the Lakers in quickie form.

HEADLINES

Aron Baynes has a career-night: The Celtics were in need of a scoring boost without Al Horford (concussion) and the veteran center rose to the challenge, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting. He did his finest work on the offensive glass (five total) which was a reliable source of offense for the big man all night.

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Ten in a row: The Lakers made a strong charge in the second half, cutting a 21-point lead to two, but the Celtics’ defense held firm in the final quarter, allowing just 15 points to the Lakers despite being without a pair of their best defensive players down the stretch.    

Injury bug hits again: One game after losing Al Horford to a concussion, rookie Jayson Tatum left the game in the second quarter with ankle soreness and did not return. Without two of their All-Stars and a 14-point scorer in Tatum, the C’s began showing some significant holes on the defensive end. With the depth of the bench tested yet again, Brad Stevens had to rely on the rookies (Daniel Theis, Semi Ojeleye) probably a little bit more than he wanted to.

TURNING POINT

The Celtics limited the Lakers to just six points in the final 6:47 of the game, which enabled them to turn a six-point lead into a more comfortable double-digit win by the final buzzer.

TWO UP

Aron Baynes: The Australian big man took on a larger role in Horford’s absence and answered the call immediately with his best performance as a Celtic (21 points on 8-of-12 shooting). He was a force on the offensive glass all night against Brook Lopez. Honorable mention to his backup Daniel Theis as well for some terrific minutes off the pine, despite battling foul trouble.

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Terry Rozier: His shot selection wasn’t always great but Rozier (14 points, 8 rebounds) helped stop the bleeding in the third quarter with the C’s offense reeling. He was also a force on the offensive glass (three boards) that gave the hosts some needed extra chances on a bad shooting night.    

TWO DOWN

Defense in the middle two quarters: The Lakers had the 27th-best offense in the NBA entering tonight’s game and still managed to score 65 points in the middle two quarters. Injuries were undoubtedly a factor, but the Celtics really struggled to slow the Lakers in transition until the fourth quarter.

Kyrie’s 3-point shooting: The All-Star point guard went 7-of-21 from the field and his struggles came almost solely due to an off night beyond the arc. He went 0-of-7 from 3-point range.    

INJURIES

Tatum left the game midway through the second quarter after coming down awkwardly on his ankle. He went to the locker room with Celtics’ trainers and did not re-emerge in the second half. The team ruled him out of the game with “ankle soreness.”

TOP PLAY

Smart stuffs the rookie

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TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

The Celtics' depth is as good as its been in awhile: Not a lot of teams can handle not having three of its best four players in the midst of a potential collapse. The Celtics had enough personnel down the bench in Ojeleye, Theis and Rozier to hold down the fort and slow down the Lakers momentum in the midst of the second half. 

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Defense is always there for this team when it counts: The Celtics looked like a shell of themselves in the middle two quarters defensively, but they really turned it on the fourth quarter, locking down the likes of Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and company who had been wreaking havoc during the Lakers’ comeback. With Irving having an off shooting night and limited offensive options elsewhere, the C’s needed to rely on their defense and they did it well.