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The Boston Celtics snapped their losing streak on December 13, courtesy of an overtime victory against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Moments after the game concluded, Celtics legend Paul Pierce was filmed celebrating the victory, but he did reserve a special message for Lakers superstar LeBron James.
“That’s game, baby. Hey LeBron, that’s game,” Pierce said during the video.
It was an unfortunate turn of events for the Lakers, who had battled back from a deficit to take the lead and looked good value for money entering the fourth quarter. However, some timely buckets from the Celtics combined with increased defensive pressure allowed Boston to claw their way back into the game down the stretch, thus forcing the game to overtime, where they took care of business.
Jaylen Brown Reveals Joe Mazzulla’s Pre-Game Message
Throughout Boston’s contest against their storied rivals, Jaylen Brown was one of the real difference makers, making an impact in the scoring column whilst also helping his team control the defensive glass.
Speaking to the media during his post-game press conference, Brown credited head coach Joe Mazzulla’s pre-game team talk, noting how his words had helped set the tone for the Celtics heading into the final game of their West Coast road trip.
“Joe came in before the game and set the tone for us, told us that we needed to get our s*** together. We started out the game great. I think we got off to a great start, were moving the ball. We got a little stagnant in the third quarter…We were down eight points, ten points, in the fourth quarter and was still able to come back and win. So that’s a tough and perfect way to close out the road trip,” Brown said.
Brown was exceptional for the Celtics throughout his 42 minutes of playing time against the Lakers, scoring 25 points, pulling down 15 rebounds, dishing out five assists, and pilfering the rock on three occasions, all while shooting 47.6% from the field and 42.9% from deep. Should Brown continue to play at his current level, he will most likely earn the second All-Star selection of his career later this season.
Mazzulla Held Everybody Accountable
After Brown’s comments on Mazzulla’s pre-game talk with the team, Jayson Tatum elaborated further on the interim head coach’s team talk and the impact he felt it had within the roster.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what he said. He pointed me out, basically told me that it starts with me, you know, last game I played like s***, and he basically told me that. Told me that, the way I play, the rest of the guys are gonna follow. And, he went down the line, went down to JB, went down to Smart, you know, said it’s our responsibility,” Tatum said.
Tatum, who had struggled in the Celtics’ previous two outings, bounced back to his usual impactful self against the Lakers, helping Boston secure the victory with 44 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on 51.7% shooting from the field and 50% shooting from deep, reaffirming why everyone believes he’s among the front runners for the 2023 MVP award.
Boston will be back in action on Friday, December 16, when they take on the Orlando Magic.
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