Prior to Thursday’s matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, the rivalry hype cooled off when it was announced that LeBron James and Anthony Davis would be sitting out for the night.

Still, Austin Reaves and Co. made sure that the Celtics would be in for a surprise. By the end of the night, the Lakers carved out a 114-105 win in front of a dismayed TD Garden.

The Celtics players were just as, if not, even more frustrated than the fans, and this was seen in Jaylen Brown’s postgame comments.

Speaking to reporters, Brown addressed his performance during the loss.

“I wasn’t playing my best,” Brown said, per SB Nation’s Noa Dalzell. “There’s nothing I can really say there…It was a little lackadaisical, it wasn’t my best game.”

Jaylen Brown on him, Holiday, and Porzingis being benched early in the third.

"I wasn't playing my best. Nothing I can really say there."

(Q: @John_Karalis) pic.twitter.com/NWMFHdbaki

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA)

February 2, 2024

In over 27 minutes of play, Brown finished with eight points, going 4-of-12 from the field.

While he did manage eight rebounds and seven assists, the 27-year-old is the Celtics’ number two option and is expected to put up more points than what he produced.

Besides Jaylen Brown, most of the Celtics players were also quiet. Only Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Sam Hauser tallied double-digits in scoring.

Boston’s last taste of the lead came in the second quarter. Afterward, the Lakers controlled the game until the final buzzer.

The Celtics were also unable to contain Austin Reaves, who shot seven triples en route to a 32-point night for Los Angeles.
Losing to their longtime rivals at home may have been an eyesore for Celtics fans, but still, Boston continues to hold the top record in the league (37-12).

With many games remaining, the Celtics have plenty of opportunities to make sure no one steals their number one seed heading into the postseason.