BOSTON — The road trips have been long, the games have been stacked and, inside the Los Angeles Lakers’ locker room, the eyes have been droopier. The NBA schedule is long — the comparisons to a marathon too accurate for them to be fully dismissed as merely a cliche.
But the Lakers — they’re lucky, lucky to be in Boston on Saturday to fight the Boston Celtics, one of the NBA’s best rivalries pitting them against one of the NBA’s best teams in one of the NBA’s best environments.
They’re lucky, because even in a 125-121 overtime loss, their 50th game of the season, the Lakers’ decision makers can see what this team is. And, more importantly, what this team isn’t.
LeBron James, looking more and more like a player who will smash through the NBA’s all-time scoring record next week, dominated the game with scoring, rebounding and passing. He finished with 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
The team, which got Anthony Davis back from injury and had Rui Hachimura available for the first time Wednesday, added Lonnie Walker IV to the rotation on Saturday after he missed the previous 14 games.
And with Patrick Beverley in rhythm and Thomas Bryant and Dennis Schroder fully integrated after thumb surgeries delayed their debuts, a more complete picture of the Lakers’ possibilities is being painted.
Beverley, in particular, had a huge effect on the game, helping harass Jayson Tatum before hitting a go-ahead three and a go-ahead dunk in the final minute of regulation.
Still, the cracks are there.
The team didn’t get a key whistle at the end of regulation when LeBron James attacked the rim, and the fallout carried into overtime. After the play, James hopped up and down on the court, stunned he didn’t get the call.
“As much as you try not to put it on officiating, it’s becoming increasingly difficult,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “…Apparently, I used my challenge too soon.”
Before that, the Lakers’ showed other signs of their weakening composure Saturday.
Beverley’s missed free throw in the final minute of the fourth kept the Lakers from icing the game — much like misses from the line cost them wins against Philadelphia and Boston earlier in the season.
The Lakers gave up a key offensive rebound allowing Jaylen Brown to score and get fouled, tying the game with a free throw and 4.1 seconds left on the clock.
The offensive rebound came after a defensive miscommunication gave Al Horford a clean look at a game-tying three — that he missed badly.
The Lakers’ emotionality continued to be an issue, Beverley grabbing a camera and showing it to an official after the end of regulation. He instantly was called for a technical, giving the Celtics a free point at the line to start overtime.
“There’s a bunch we can do better,” Ham said.
And there are still the questions about Russell Westbrook and his place within the Lakers’ formula for winning and the persistent shooting concerns that should arise anytime the questions about the Lakers’ ability to seriously contend for anything other than an early playoff exit.
Against the Celtics, Westbrook struggled — the crowd egging him on to shoot. He started 0-for-6 before scoring his first points from the free-throw line. He finished regulation on the bench, sitting for the entirety of the fourth with eight points, seven assists and five turnovers.
But upon entry in overtime, Westbrook sparked the Lakers with a tip-in while drawing a foul. He made the free throw, plus two more after drawing a flagrant foul.
Then, he missed a corner three and, on the next possession, a reverse layup. Westbrook finished with 12 points.
Walker’s return was mostly just good.
Playing for the first time since late December, Walker quickly got into rhythm, scoring his first basket in a month on an easy layup. The basket helped quell Ham’s pregame concerns, when he said he expected Walker to slowly get back into the flow.
“You bring him along slowly, you know what I mean? And allow him to play himself back into rhythm,” Ham said. “Just being healthy is half the battle. You have to be healthy and be in rhythm. That’s going to take a little bit of time. Especially for a perimeter player, I think it’s difficult on both ends.”
Walker was six-for-eight over 18 minutes, scoring 13 points in his most efficient shooting performance of the season.
The Lakers are now just waiting for Austin Reaves, who continues to do full-speed on-court work and is set to be re-evaluated Thursday.
“If we compete as hard as we did tonight to start this trip,” Ham said, “we’re going to be OK.”
