LeBron James, Lakers Beat Kyrie Irving, Celtics After Anthony Davis Trade Rumors
The Los Angeles Lakers couldn't land Anthony Davis before the NBA trade deadline, but they picked up a stunning 129-128 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday at TD Garden thanks to a buzzer-beater from Rajon Rondo.
It appeared as if the Celtics would win when Kyrie Irving drilled a layup and Al Horford blocked Brandon Ingram's shot, but Rondo collected the loose ball and shocked his former team at the horn.
He snapped the Lakers' two-game losing streak in the process, while Boston saw its five-game winning streak end.
Rondo played hero, and LeBron James notched a triple-double with 28 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds. All five Lakers starters scored in double figures, including Kyle Kuzma (25 points) and Rondo (17 points, 10 assists and seven boards).
Irving (24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds) and Jayson Tatum (22 points and 10 rebounds) spearheaded the losing effort for the Celtics.
Lakers Prove They Can Rise Above the Noise After Drama
It would have been incredibly easy for the Lakers to fold on Thursday.
After all, they fell behind by 18 points in the first half and were coming off a humiliating 42-point loss to the Indiana Pacers. They were playing in front of one of the league's most hostile crowds and have seen nothing but drama in recent days.
There was no bigger NBA storyline leading up to Thursday's trade deadline than whether Davis would be moved to the Lakers. The idea that Davis could go to there seemed natural when agent Rich Paul, who also represents James, made it known in late January the star didn't want to remain in New Orleans.
However the Pelicans didn't accept a deal, even when the Lakers offered Lonzo Ball, Ingram, Kuzma, Josh Hart, Ivica Zubac, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and two first-round picks, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on The Jump with Rachel Nichols the Pelicans leaked trade discussions to sabotage the Lakers to pay them back for perceived tampering. New Orleans also released a statement asking the league to "strictly enforce the tampering rules."
With all of the noise, L.A. looked lost and distracted during the humiliating loss to the Pacers. It surely didn't help the Indiana crowd was chanting that James was going to trade Ingram when the youngster shot free throws, and the team appeared nowhere near ready for a postseason push.
What's more, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported "several veterans—including Michael Beasley—had an emotionally charged verbal exchange with head coach Luke Walton" after Saturday's loss to the Golden State Warriors, although Beasley denied as much, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Elsewhere, Ball's outspoken father, LaVar Ball, was openly critical of Walton and some of his son's teammates.
Things appeared to be closing in on a Lakers team that entered play 2.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers in the race for the West's No. 8 seed. That's when they caught fire in the third quarter, turning a significant deficit into a six-point lead entering the fourth and proving they will not go quietly into the offseason.
It was an impressive showing given the circumstances and their talented opponent, and Kuzma's late three to give them the lead with 19 seconds remaining was a franchise-record 22nd.
As if the bounce-back showing in hostile territory wasn't enough to lift spirits in Lakerland, the Clippers lost to the Pacers on Thursday. The deficit is now just 1.5 games, and the Clippers will be weakened for the rest of this season after they traded leading scorer Tobias Harris to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The playoffs seemed like a long shot for the Lakers during the blowout against the Pacers, but the team that battled and prevailed against Boston will make the postseason. James has made the playoffs 13 straight years, and the squad around him proved it is capable of pushing the streak to 14.
What's Next?
The Celtics will host the Clippers on Saturday, while the Lakers will visit the 76ers on Sunday.
