The Boston Celtics squandered a 20-point lead against the rival Los Angeles Lakers in what was easily their wildest game of the season. However, Marcus Smart and the Celtics fought back and got the victory on the road, all while their starting point guard was on the verge of throwing up.
During a crazy battle that saw both the Lakers and Celtics blow sizable leads, Smart told the media that he was not feeling 100% throughout the contest. At one point he even had to leave the game to avoid getting sick all over the Lakers' court.
“A little bit a little under the weather. I actually had to vomit so didn't want to ruin the floor at Crypto, so I got my butt in the back,” Smart said, per John Karalis of BostonSportsJournal and Locked On Celtics.
Despite his rough symptoms, Smart was able to get the Celtics back on track following their second-half collapse.
After the Lakers erased the deficit and took their own double-digit lead late in the fourth quarter, Celtics forward Grant Williams cashed a triple to get the Green Team within 10. Unfortunately for the C's, there was only 3:40 left in the game and the Lakers' win probability was at a whopping 97.7%, per ESPN Analytics.
Celtics — 98.2% win probability when they led 81-61 with 6:57 left in the third.
Celtics — 97.5% win probability when they led 88-74 with 1:57 left in the third.
Lakers — 99.3% win probability when they led 106-93 with 4:06 left in the fourth.
What a wild ride. pic.twitter.com/HMPwb1VHKI
— Steve Hewitt (@steve_hewitt) December 14, 2022
But Los Angeles got a little careless, as the inbounds pass following Williams' 3-pointer was intercepted by Smart, leading to an easy layup that helped ignite a 12-4 run. Behind Marcus Smart's big steal and clutch buckets from Jayson Tatum, the game headed to overtime where the younger, more energized Celtics took care of business.
It was an insane ride, but the Celtics beat the odds and salvaged a tough six-game road trip with this key win over their hated foes. With wins against Brooklyn, Toronto, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, the C's can consider their time away from home a success, especially with Robert Williams still out and Al Horford missing time.
Boston will now enter a seven-game homestand, where it'll host just two teams with a winning record in that time. If there's an opportunity to create some separation in the Eastern Conference, it'll be in those seven matchups.
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