The Boston Celtics won their third straight road game, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 120-107 at Staples Center on Saturday night. After the game, All-Star guard Kyrie Irving said that the Celtics still need to limit some of the minor errors that they're committing, but overall, he's proud of what his teammates were able to do.
“If we limit those [leakout] baskets and make sure we’re executing at a high level offensively, we’re going to be tough to beat… We have enough guys on this team to make a very deep run in the playoffs.”
The Celtics were able to pull away from the Lakers midway through the third quarter, and a large part of that was their excellent ball movement. They finished with a total of 32 assists against 28 from their opponents. Boston also shot the ball well, finishing the game at 51 percent from the field, including 35 percent behind the arc.
Kyrie Irving and the Celtics have now won three games on their California trip, which will conclude on Monday when they face the Los Angeles Clippers. They have handled a back-to-back with aplomb. Gordon Hayward has played noticeably better, a key development coach Brad Stevens is counting on as he heads to the postseason. This team, which looked so noticeably lost a few weeks ago, has found fresh energy and clarity with just over a month left in the regular season. The 82-game NBA marathon causes teams to go through ruts and dark periods, but it just as equally enables teams to find themselves before the playoffs.
Boston continues to ride a strong wave of momentum heading into the playoffs. That wave began with a 128-95 win against the Golden State Warriors last Tuesday. If the Celtics continue to play at an elite level, they are indeed going to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Kyrie Irving will be at the forefront of such an effort.
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