The Los Angeles Lakers fell 111-89 to the Boston Celtics on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, with LeBron James contributing 20 points and reaching the 43,000-point milestone in his 1,600th regular-season game. After the game, James reflected on both the team’s performance and Boston’s standout All-Star, Jaylen Brown.
“I mean we had some really good looks. I think they had a good game plan defensively, forcing us to take some shots,” James said, analyzing the Lakers’ offensive struggles. “They made timely shots and we didn’t give ourselves a good chance on offensive end.”
James acknowledged the team’s inability to generate a momentum-changing run in the second half. “We never hit that run. We never made that one shot where it felt like, you know, this is the time,” he said, highlighting the challenges the Lakers faced against Boston’s aggressive defense.
On facing former coach Pat Riley during the halftime ceremony, James remarked, “One of all-time greats to ever been a part of this league. Not only player, coach, executive, front office, everything. I spent four years with him. Got the utmost respect for him and his family. Pretty cool.”
Reflecting on his past in Miami, James said, “It’s human nature to look back and say okay what could have been. But I thought the four years that we had was great. We picked up two chips. A lot of great memories. Would have been interesting to see what could have happened.”
James also discussed team chemistry with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. “I don’t think we’re there right now. We’ve got some games to be played, but the offense is five guys, not just three. It has to be five guys playing off one another,” he said, emphasizing balance and collaboration.
Turning to Boston, James praised Jaylen Brown’s performance. “I think you just use the motivation of a lot of people saying they’re going to have a down year. He’s playing great basketball. You can’t fault this. I don’t understand why his name isn’t talked about some as well [in the MVP conversation]. Nobody gave him a shot to start the season, and he’s having just under 30 [points] per game.”
James addressed past friction with Brown over Bronny-related comments at Summer League, but stressed the relationship has moved forward. “Other than that, we’ve been all right. It’s all good. Bronny’s got a long way to go, but that’s another story,” he said.
Sunday’s defeat marked Boston’s eighth win in nine games and left Los Angeles at 34-21, struggling to score against a top-tier Eastern Conference team. The Lakers will host the Orlando Magic on Tuesday as they look to refine offensive execution and build cohesion.
