The post-All-Star break stretch is always a wake-up call in the NBA—no matter your recent form, the calendar screams urgency. Mid-April and the playoffs arrive fast, turning every game into a must-win vibe. The Los Angeles Lakers felt that harsh reality Sunday night (Feb. 22, 2026) in a humiliating 111-89 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena—right after unveiling Pat Riley’s statue, no less.
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This was the season sweep for Boston in the historic rivalry, with the Celtics (now 37-19, second in East) dominating behind Jaylen Brown (32 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) and Payton Pritchard (30 points, 8 assists, 6 threes). The Lakers (dropping to 34-22, fifth in West) were flat-out awful offensively: shooting just 39.1% FG, 9-for-30 (30%) from three, and struggling with long 2s (2-for-10 outside the paint). They scored only 89 points—their second-lowest output this season.
HC JJ Redick cut straight to it postgame: “We did enough defensively. We were just awful offensively tonight.” The Celtics’ deep drop coverage frustrated L.A.’s pick-and-roll actions, forcing tough passes and midrange settling. Turnovers were low (8), but the shot selection and execution were poor.
The Big Three of Luka Dončić (25 points), LeBron James (20 points on 9-for-21, 5 assists), and Austin Reaves have played together in just 13 games this season (per James’ count)—less than a quarter of the schedule due to injuries (LeBron early, Reaves mid-season, Dončić recent). Chemistry is still building, and LeBron acknowledged the reality: “What game is this for us this year? 13? I don’t think we’re there right now… It’s the sprint for us now, we gotta figure it out. It’s not just me, AR and Luka. We got the ball in our hands the majority of times but we’ve got to make sure we keep guys, other guys into it, in the flow. The offense is five guys… We got a lot of room to grow.”
Pre-break, the Lakers were hot (10-5 in their last 15), but this loss exposed vulnerabilities against elite defenses and physical teams. The post-All-Star urgency hit hard—no excuses with Tatum out for Boston.
Adding fuel? Lakers legend James Worthy unloaded on Spectrum SportsNet’s postgame show: “No heart. Weak. And it’s post-All-Star… Tonight was weak. It’s the Boston Celtics without [Jayson] Tatum. You’re at home. You’re in fifth place, you’re trying to move up. You show, to me, no respect for the uniform… You can sniff out weakness. When you do that, you can just dominate. That’s what they did. They’ve got to decide who they want to be. Because right now, I don’t know.”
Worthy’s words stung, especially on Riley tribute night, highlighting rebounding issues (Celtics had 17 second-chance points) and lack of fight. Overreactions are common here, but with ~28 games left, the Lakers need quick adjustments—better spacing, flow for role players, and health—to climb West standings.
The sprint is on. Lakers fans, is this a blip from injury rust and chemistry building, or a red flag for title hopes? Can the Big Three gel fast enough? Comment below!
English version:
The post-All-Star break portion of the NBA schedule is notoriously tough—recent momentum gets overshadowed by the ticking clock toward mid-April playoffs. Every game feels magnified, and the Los Angeles Lakers learned that the hard way Sunday (Feb. 22, 2026) in a lopsided 111-89 home blowout loss to the Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena—hours after honoring Pat Riley with a statue unveiling.
Boston completed the season sweep in the iconic rivalry, improving to 37-19 (No. 2 East) behind Jaylen Brown‘s game-high 32 points (8 rebounds, 7 assists) and Payton Pritchard‘s explosive 30 points (8 assists, 6 threes). The Lakers fell to 34-22 (No. 5 West), shooting a dismal 39.1% FG and 9-for-30 (30%) from three, with poor long-2 efficiency (2-for-10 outside paint). They managed just 89 points—their second-lowest total this year.
HC JJ Redick pinpointed the issue: “We did enough defensively. We were just awful offensively tonight.” Boston’s deep drop coverage disrupted L.A.’s pick-and-roll passing and flow, forcing contested midrange looks despite low turnovers (8).
The Big Three—Luka Dončić (25 points), LeBron James (20 points on 9-for-21, 5 assists), Austin Reaves—have shared the floor in only 13 games this season due to injuries (LeBron early, Reaves mid, Dončić recent). Chemistry remains a work in progress. LeBron reflected: “What game is this for us this year? 13? I don’t think we’re there right now… It’s the sprint for us now, we gotta figure it out. It’s not just me, AR and Luka… The offense is five guys… We got a lot of room to grow.”
They were rolling pre-break (10-5 in last 15), but this exposed issues vs. top defenses. Then came the fire from Lakers legend James Worthy on Spectrum SportsNet: “No heart. Weak… It’s the Boston Celtics without [Jayson] Tatum. You’re at home… To me, you show no respect for the uniform… You can sniff out weakness. When you do that, you can just dominate… They’ve got to decide who they want to be. Because right now, I don’t know.”
Worthy highlighted rebounding woes (17 second-chance points for Boston) and lack of intensity on a big night. Overreactions abound post-loss, but with ~28 games remaining, urgency is real—health, better involvement for others, and cohesion could still fuel a West climb.
Lakers Nation—what’s your take? Blip from rust/chemistry, or warning sign? Can the trio turn it around quick? Drop thoughts below!