Lakers vs. Celtics: Boston's Loss Proves Age Has Caught Up to Veteran Squad

It was no secret that the Boston Celtics were an aging team headed into this season.

That's why when they struggled down the stretch on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, losing 88-87, it was no surprise.

Two-thirds of Boston's "Big Three" struggled mightily from the field. While Paul Pierce went 7-of-18 from the floor, Kevin Garnett shot 6-of-23 in the game. It was Pierce, with the chance to win it for the Celtics at the end of overtime, who came up short.

If you haven't guessed by now, the Celtics aren't the "Beasts of the East" anymore. They are a shell of themselves.

Pierce is the youngest of the Big Three at 34 years of age. Garnett and Ray Allen follow at 35 years old and 36 years old respectively. It wasn't a shock that Pierce's shot was off in overtime on Thursday—it was shocking that his old legs actually got the ball to the iron on a fade-away.

Pierce played 48 minutes on Thursday, way too much for a player his age. In some respects, that's Doc Rivers' fault for pushing him that hard. On the other hand, the Celtics weren't playing well enough as a team to exactly rest Pierce throughout the game.

It's games like these that make you marvel at how the Celtics are even 14-11 this season. Spurred by a nice defensive stretch, they've been able to weather a lot this season. But, especially in a shortened schedule with more back-to-back games, you get the feeling that it's only going to get worse from here as the wear and tear eats up the Big Three.

Thursday's game in Boston was certainly winnable for the Celtics. The Lakers were not playing very good basketball, and they shot under 40 percent from the field, including 1-of-15 from downtown.

The truth is, this wasn't just a loss for the Celtics. It was sign of what's to come.