The Celtics cruised to their first win of NBA Summer League on Monday night with a 88-74 win over the Lakers in Las Vegas. Neemias Queta led the way for Boston with a game-high 22 points and 8 rebounds for the Celtics in front of a load of Lakers fans at Thomas and Mack Arena. Drew Peterson also added 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range while JD Davison posted nine points and seven assists as Boston improved to 1-1 in Las Vegas. Dalton Knecht had a team-high 19 points for the Lakers.
Boston led by as many as 22 points in the first half after outscoring the Lakers 31-17 in the second quarter. The Lakers trimmed the lead down to 10 points in the fourth quarter before the Celtics put the game away for good with some late baskets from Queta and Peterson.
Jaylen Brown and co-owner Wyc Grousbeck watched the action from courtside as Boston’s defense stole the show much of the night. The Lakers shot just 36.4 percent from the field as a team and managed 74 points as the Celtics piled up six steals and nine blocks in the win. Boston will return to action on Wednesday afternoon when they face off against the Hornets.
Here are four takeaways from the Celtics win on Monday night:s
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Jaden Springer gets the night off: The fourth-year guard stole the show in the Celtics Summer League opener with his passing and some timely 3-point makes. However, the Celtics gave him the night off against the Lakers, opening the door for some younger guys to get additional reps. Drew Peterson got the start in place of Springer while JD Davison was able to handle more ball handling duties while Springer watched from the bench in street clothes.
Neemias Queta looks like the best Celtic in Las Vegas: The 25-year-old center probably doesn’t need the Summer League reps at this point and he showed why in this matchup. Queta bullied the Lakers on the glass with his size, piling up four offensive rebounds and also feasted on timely lobs from his teammates. Most importantly, he was a terrific rim protector with three blocks against an overmatched Lakers offense that lacked playmakers. It will be interesting to see whether the team gives him a couple of upcoming games off with his strong play but Boston’s brass certainly have to be happy with what they are seeing from him in Vegas through two games.
Jordan Walsh flashes his defensive potential amid shooting struggles: After a self-admitted nightmare outing against the Heat, Walsh bounced back in some departments on Monday night. Defensively, he was a thorn in the side of the Lakers all night, tallying a pair of steals and a block while applying constant ball pressure on the perimeter against the Lakers wings. He showed more confidence driving to the rim as well but his struggles from 3-point range continued, going 0-of-5 from distance. All things considered, it was a step in the right direction from Walsh but he still looks like he has a long way to go offensively.
JD Davison has come a long way in a year: The two-way point guard is entering a pivotal season in Boston and still remains one of the younger players on the team’s Summer League squad. However, his command as a point guard is in a far different spot now compared to last summer. He continues to knock down open 3s (2-of-5) and played with a speedy pace but with far better control than his previous appearances in Las Vegas. Turnovers are still a weak spot for him but his vision is improving as he tries to prove himself as a capable NBA point guard.
