Lakers-Celtics just another game? Yeah, right

Broderick Turner-LA TIMES


All parties preferred to downplay the significance of Thursday's encounter between the Lakers and Boston Celtics.

It's just another game, they all claimed.

It doesn't mean much this time of the year, they all maintained.

It's the journey that counts, they all said.

That's what the Lakers and Celtics were selling, whether one was buying it or not.


"No, I don't think it's any more important for either team," Boston Coach Doc Rivers said. "I think it's a great game. It's a great game to have and whether you win or lose the game, you're going to learn something about the other team and you're going to try to put that into the next time you play them."

The Lakers defeated the Celtics, 92-83, at Staples Center, giving them the upper hand, at least until the two teams meet again Feb. 5 in Boston.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson was given his opportunity to explain what the victory meant to his team.

"I don't know," Jackson said. "We'll have to see what happens after this. It's a good win. We know we wanted to win it. We knew we had the ability to do that."

Maybe revenge is too strong of a word, but the Lakers had to want to show the Celtics something.

The Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the NBA Finals last June, 4-2, dropping a 39-point loss on the Lakers in Game 6 in Boston, the second-most-lopsided clinching game in Finals history.

The Lakers blew a 24-point lead in Game 4 at home, allowing the Celtics to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

So why wouldn't Thursday's win have special meeting for the Lakers?

"We want to get them back in six games, in the NBA Finals," Lamar Odom said. "This was for the fans. It was a big game because they had a big-time streak going on and they are one of the best teams in the league. Other than that, it was just another game."

The Lakers ended Boston's 19-game winning streak, the longest in the NBA this season, but the Celtics (27-3) still have the best record in the league.

The Lakers won their third straight game, their 12th in a row at home, and improved to 24-5, the best record in the Western Conference.

"It's just a game we lost," Rivers said. "But other than that, it doesn't mean that much. You wanted to win the game. It would have been great to come in here and to win another game. Our guys feel comfortable in this building. And they still do. That hasn't changed. But we lost the game and you've got to give them all the credit."

The Lakers still have 53 regular-season games left, the next coming Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors.

The Celtics still have 52 regular-season games left, the next tonight at Golden State.

Boston also has to contend with a tough Eastern Conference.

"Listen, we have to get through the East," Rivers said. "We have the Cavaliers. We have the Orlando Magic. We have the Detroit Pistons. We have to get through the East just to see them again the third time. If we play them the third time, then that will mean a lot. And they have to get through the West."

Because the Lakers and Celtics play two regular-season games, a third time would be Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

That's if both teams get there.

"For us, we're confident already, but we feel confident that we can play with the elite teams," Ariza said. "But it is just one game and we've got a gang more to go."