By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Los Angeles Lakers’ celebratory evening, which featured a halftime ceremony unveiling a bronze statue of legendary coach Pat Riley, ended in a frustrating 111-89 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics.
Despite the festivities at crypto.com Arena on Sunday, the Lakers struggled to find their rhythm against a dominant Boston squad that secured a two-game season sweep of the NBA’s most storied rivalry. Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic tallied 25 points in 33 minutes, shooting 9-of-22 from the field while adding five rebounds, three assists, and a block.
In his postgame press conference, the Ljubljana native credited Boston’s intensity: “I think they were very physical. They were playing great defense, so we need to be better on offense. To score only 89 points, that’s not like us.”
“Especially in the defensive end, you got to match the physicality,” added the 26-year-old combo guard.
The game grew increasingly tense as the Lakers lost their composure, racking up technical fouls on Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, and head coach JJ Redick between the second and third quarters. When asked if the officiating hampered a comeback, Doncic joked, “I don’t really know the answer to that question… but I’m surprised it wasn’t me [getting the tech].”
Fellow European option, German reserve Maxi Kleber recorded one assist in three minutes. Meanwhile, LeBron James reached a historic milestone by scoring his 43,000th career point during a 20-point performance.
The Celtics improved to 37-19 in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, reducing the Lakers to 34-22, bolstered by a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double from Portuguese starter Neemias Queta. Off the bench, Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic put in nine points and eight rebounds, with Spanish Hugo Gonzalez reaching four points, British Amari Williams grabbing one rebound, and Bosnian Luka Garza logging one fruitless minute. Out of the lineup, Ukrainian Max Shulga was assigned to the G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.