Rajon Rondo hit a 20-foot jumper as time expired to lift the
Los Angeles Lakers over the
Boston Celtics, 129-128 on Thursday night.
LeBron James had 28 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Kyle Kuzma added 25 points and Rondo had 17 points and 10 assists to help Los Angeles bounce back after a 42-point loss at Indiana on Tuesday.
Rondo was in the right place at the right time for his final shot against the team he won an
NBA title with in 2008. Brandon Ingram had his layup attempt blocked by Al Horford, but Horford whiffed on the rebound and the ball bounced into Rondo’s hands.
Kyrie Irving led Boston with 24 points and eight assists. Jayson Tatum added 22 points and 10 rebounds. Daniel Theis has 20 points off the bench but the Celtics had a five-game win streak snapped.
It ended a wild, speculation-filled day in which the NBA’s trade deadline expired with one of the players potentially on the wish list of both the Lakers and Celtics staying with his current team.
Los Angeles attempted to put together a deal for New Orleans big man Anthony Davis, but the Pelicans held onto the All-Star despite him saying recently that he would not sign an extension and wanted to be traded. It means any potential suitor will have to wait until the summer to make a run at him.
The Lakers weren’t completely quiet Thursday, trading Michael Beasley and Ivica Zubac to the Clippers for Mike Muscala.
But for now, James will have to go forward with most of a roster that improved to 2-2 since his return from a groin injury that kept him out of action a month.