After consecutive wins to open the Las Vegas summer league, the Lakers could not keep their streak going, falling to the Celtics 95-90 on Wednesday night.
In a true tale of two halves game, the Lakers dominated extended stretches of the first two quarters to take a 10-point lead into halftime, but a big 3rd quarter run from the Celtics and a continued push in the 4th allowed them to hold the Lakers off in the closing minutes.
Below are three things that stood out from the game:
D'MOI HODGE CAN COOK
In another strong performance this summer, D'Moi Hodge showed off his ability to get hot from the outside and put up points in bunches vs. Boston. Hodge finished the game with 22 points, knocking down six of his 13 attempts from behind the arc and going 8-16 from the floor overall.
Hodge got his threes in a variety of ways, but whether he was spotting up, relocating against a scrambling defense, in transition, or pulling up off the dribble, he flashed his lightning-quick release and great balance in getting his shot off. Hodge never seemed rushed or out of rhythm, instead looking totally comfortable taking and making shots from all over the floor regardless of how the defense was defending him.
ANOTHER ALL-AROUND CHRISTIE GAME
Max Christie has said multiple times that his goals for this summer have been to show that he has improved his game and that he deserves a spot in the Lakers rotation this upcoming season, all while doing everything he can to help them win games in summer league. And while the team didn't get the win in this game, Christie again did his best to accomplish all those goals vs. Boston.
Connecting on seven of his 14 field goals and all eight of his free throws, Christie led the Lakers with 24 points to go along with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. Christie did a little bit of everything in this one, again showing an ability to get downhill to either score or get fouled in the paint, hit spot up jumpers, and connect on his pull up jumper from both the mid-range and beyond the arc when the defense gave him too much space.
Though Max was great overall offensively, he did have some issues with ball security, committing five turnovers on the night. These are the growth opportunities Christie has available to him this summer; as he takes on more playmaking and shot creation responsibilities, he will be put in more situations where his handle and passing will be tested by defenses geared up to stop him. Though he's not likely to get as many of these reps during the regular season, these are the chances that can prove to be great teaching moments that he can carry forward and help him grow as a talent.
THIRD QUARTER SLOG
The Celtics seized momentum of this game in the third quarter, putting the Lakers on their heels and stressing their offense through aggressive on-ball defense and varied looks on that side of the ball. Critical to their success was a two-three zone that combined ball pressure and quick rotations that took the Lakers out of the rhythm they established in the 1st half.
The Lakers committed half of their 12 turnovers in the period, too often forcing the action with passes or dribble attacks in attempts to split defenders who were loaded up to take those exact sorts of plays away. And when they weren't turning the ball over, the Lakers simply couldn't get their shots to fall at the same rate they did earlier in the game -- even when they got good looks.
These turnovers and missed shots fueled the Celtics open court and transition game, allowing them to create offense before the Lakers defense was completely set. Boston used this space to get downhill and attack the basket, scoring effectively inside and drawing fouls where they were able to convert at the line for free points.
By the time the quarter was over, the Lakers double digit halftime lead became a three-point deficit, with the Celtics able to then carry that momentum through most of the 4th quarter to take home the victory.