BITTERSWEET
Lakers welcome fans back to Staples Center but come up short against Celtics
LOS ANGELES » “DE-FENSE! DEFENSE! DE-FENSE!”
The crew at Staples Center had pumped those words through the speakers maybe hundreds of times this season, but the difference between a recorded chant and a real one is immeasurably better.
The Lakers were expecting “a jolt” from the first home fans they’ve heard in their own building for more than 13 months, but those 1,915 souls had to wait patiently to see it, when a bench-driven Lakers lineup went on a closing 29-10 run of a game that was already over but they didn’t want to see end.
Maybe it was the hustle of the group — led by Talen HortonTucker (19 points) and Ben McLemore (17 points) — that inspired the crowd to pipe up. Maybe waiting since March 10, 2020 — and wearing the gear celebrating a championship they had only seen through screens — had them pent up.
But as the Lakers made their ultimately futile comeback effort, the crowd cheered them, and they lustily booed the Boston Celtics as they subbed their starters back with 1:50 remaining to protect the dwindling lead. They celebrated each Celtics miss, and screamed for each Lakers answer as the game got as close as five points after Boston had led by as much as 27.
It turned out to be a 121113 loss for the banged-up Lakers (34-22), perhaps an overall forgettable on-court night against a historic rival. But there is something that fans bring to a game that is louder than volume, and more catching to the eye than a row of gold Kobe Bryant jerseys; it is soul.
And while the soul of Staples Center in these pandemic times is a long way from being restored, Thursday night’s rivalry game between the Lakers and the Celtics was the first, small step in that process.
But even though Lakers coach Frank Vogel made his commute to downtown L.A. likely knowing how hard it would be to win without his stars, he felt a little more excited on the drive than he’s been many nights this season preparing to play in an empty cavernous arena.
“Just knowing that we’re going to have fans in the house, I think is bringing us all a little bit of joy and excitement,” he said. “And we’re eager to — even though it’s not near full capability or anything like that — just to not have an empty building and to see some of our great fans.”
Only 1,915 were permitted to attend, meaning the home crowd was a far cry from full strength. But then again, so was the home team, even beyond the usual suspects of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
A few nights removed from getting his already injured foot stepped on against Brooklyn, Andre Drummond’s right toe swelled up enough so he couldn’t play. Similarly, Markieff Morris’ sprained left ankle kept him out of a second straight game.
Even the players who did take the court had to tough out injuries: Schröder played despite an infection in the ball of his right foot, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope needed treatment again for back spasms and played through it.
The most alarming instance of gritting out pain came in the third quarter, when Gasol wrestled for a loose ball near midcourt and dislocated his left pinky, which flopped at an unnatural angle from his hand.
But after getting the stray finger reset, Gasol suddenly unleashed a scoring torrent: The 36-year-old knocked in 11 points in the following five minutes to reach a season-best mark of 18 points. With nine good digits, he had the best deep shooting night (4 for 6) of anyone else on the team.
But even though the Lakers were able to keep the margin in single digits through the end of Gasol’s uncharacteristic heater, it quickly got away from them as Jaylen Brown buried them with 40 points on a 17-for-20 shooting night. The Lakers’ No. 1 defense, down so many bodies, was no match for the cuts and shooting touch of the Celtics starters.
The Staples Center crew still pumped in a little crowd noise to supplement the socially distanced audience, but the most personalized roars were still easy to hear.
In between halves, fans wandered through the concourse, ordering food on their phones and taking their meals out to the brisk night air of Star Plaza. They strolled through halls that haven’t been open for months, in what is typically the busiest venue in Los Angeles hosting three pro teams and large-scale concerts.
At halftime, Rashard Clark of South Los Angeles was taking photos by a mural of L.A. stars, including Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. He had come to the game on short notice when his cousin, reserve guard Alfonzo McKinnie, got him tickets.
“He told us on Tuesday, ‘Y’all are coming on Thursday,’” Clark said. “And I was like, ‘Oh we’re coming that early? I can move my schedule.’”
As McKinnie was on the floor for the final Lakers rally, Clark and his family roared and stomped in their lower bowl seats. A win wasn’t coming, but being at a game has its own rewards.
“We’ve watching on Time Warner Cable for the last year,” he said. “So instead of watching in the living room, the den, my room, seeing that actually live, that was fun.”ort.”