BBNBA: Lakers roll Celtics, even season series with rival

It’s no secret the Lakers-Celtics rivalry isn’t what it once was. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson aren’t walking through that door, nor are Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant. Heck, the door isn’t even hiding Brian Scalabrine. It’s just a regular door, connected to a room containing Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Talen Horton-Tucker. You might see LeBron in there too on occasion, but let’s be honest, he’s got his own suite — and he’s probably in there right now resting. But I digress…

The Lakers and Celtics met last night, for the second this season, concluding another chapter in their long and storied history. A few former ‘Cats were front and center. Let’s discuss.

Davis, Lakers bounce back vs. Boston

The current iteration of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry is full of contradictions; Boston is led by young stars like Jayson Tatum, while L.A. is full of aging journeymen and former stars twilighting into role players (Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, etc.). Both sides feature players who have crossed from one side to the other, à la Rajon Rondo. Yet, miraculously, they still seem to hate each other.

After Tuesday’s 117-102 win at home, the Lakers improved to 13-12 on the season, same as Boston. Both have the talent to go far, but have so far underachieved. The ultimate difference may depend on what Anthony Davis can bring to the table.

After scoring 31 points in their first matchup this season, Davis looked lost for much of the first half last night. He made highlights for the wrong reason on this Robert Williams slam:

ROB WILLIAMS DUNKS ALL OVER ANTHONY DAVIS pic.twitter.com/mqWzJwpPZs

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 8, 2021

At halftime, AD had just seven points on five shots. The Lakers held onto a five-point lead thanks to James’ 18. Led by him and Westbrook, L.A. stretched the lead out in the second half and never looked back. Davis finished with 17 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks.

Another key contributor to this run was Malik Monk, who turned a fast break into a highlight in the fourth quarter:

MALIK MONK WINDMILL. 🔥

pic.twitter.com/QFuGJajQ5R

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 8, 2021

While the Lakers earned the win, Davis continues to be the brunt of criticism, including from Charles Barkley at halftime. He looked a bit more energized in the second half, but his performance this year has still left some fans wanting more, considering the high standard he’s set for himself.

Barrett explodes, leads Knicks to victory

In the other feature BBNBA matchup of the night, the “Kentucky Knicks” snapped a three-game losing streak against the Spurs thanks to… R.J. Barrett? Sure enough, the Duke product had himself a night in New York’s 121-109 win, scoring 32 points with a career-high seven triples. For a guy that drew criticism from his own coach last week for not being able to shoot, that’s not too bad.

The Knicks had a great night shooting the ball, going 18-38 (47%) from three as a team. Immanuel Quickley had a hand in that, making two triples en route to 16 points in 26 minutes. He put * just * the right amount of spin on this one:

HOW DID IQ GET THIS TO DROP? @IQ_GodSon

🎥 @TheKnicksWall pic.twitter.com/iWi1DNkMJP

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 8, 2021

Even Julius Randle showed off his touch from outside, hitting three of five treys on his way to 16 points:

Back-to-back buckets for 3️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/cPTMM0yvUU

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 8, 2021

In the end, the 8-15 Spurs didn’t put up much of a fight. Keldon Johnson was forced to leave early with a sprained ankle, ending his night with a season-low five points. They got 26 points from Derrick White, but not much else.

The Knicks are back in action tonight, facing Isaiah Jackson’s Pacers in Indianapolis.

League News:

• With the Lakers up-and-down season continuing, calls have been made for Frank Vogel‘s job — but it seems to be safe for now, per the team.
• Rumors out of Sacramento are saying De’Aaron Fox may be on the trading block ahead of the February deadline. Are the Kings really going to give away another franchise player from Kentucky?
• Another new trade rumor places P.J. Washington as a potential target for the Pacers. Could this be the start of a Big Blue takeover in Indy?

Here are the full stats from Tuesday’s games:

Today in the NBA:

7:00 – 76ers (Maxey) @ Hornets (Washington, Richards)

7:00 – Bulls @ Cavaliers

7:00 – Wizards @ Pistons (Diallo, Lyles)

7:00 – Knicks (Randle, Quickley, Noel, Knox) @ Pacers (Jackson*)

7:30 (ESPN) – Bucks (Cousins) @ Heat (Adebayo*, Herro)

7:30 – Thunder (SGA) @ Raptors

8:00 – Nets @ Rockets (Wall*)

8:00 – Mavericks (Cauley-Stein) @ Grizzlies

8:00 – Jazz @ Timberwolves (Towns, Vanderbilt)

8:00 – Nuggets (Murray*) @ Pelicans

10:00 (ESPN) – Trail Blazers @ Warriors

10:00 – Magic (Mulder) @ Kings (Fox)

10:30 – Celtics (Freedom) @ Clippers (Bledsoe, Boston Jr.)

* – inactive