This story was updated with more information
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers had a successful outing Thursday night in a 117-96 victory over the defending champion Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena.
The victory could be viewed as a statement win to start the second half of the season after the Lakers finished the first half of the season with a 23-18 record.
The Lakers’ defensive effort managed to hold the Celtics to their second-lowest point total of the season.
Anthony Davis scored a game-high 24 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers while LeBron James added 20 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. Austin Reaves produced 23 points and six assists in the victory.
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“Hopefully we can use the things we learned from the first 41 (games) in the next 41 and get better,” James said after the victory. “We will see.”
Davis told ESPN’s Shams Charania in an interview that aired before the game that the team should add another big for the back half of the schedule with the trade deadline approaching on Feb. 6.
“I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the (power forward) and having a big out there,” Davis said.
Charania reported Wednesday that Davis and James have a growing concern about the team’s ability to make a significant roster upgrade to make a strong push toward the playoffs. The Lakers have a pair of tradeable first-round picks.
Lakers coach JJ Redick wasn’t alarmed by Davis’ comments when asked about them during his postgame press conference.
“The reality is that isn’t a new report,” Redick said. “I got the job six months ago so I know that. I’ve followed this team since I’ve retired. Just put a date next to it and that’s the new report. It’s not a big deal. Those guys want to win. We want to win.”
The Lakers acquired Dorian Finney-Smith in a trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in late December. He’s come off the bench to play in the last nine games for Los Angeles. Finney Smith averaged seven points and two rebounds with the Lakers before Thursday’s game.
‘It’s a challenging environment to just go out and make trades,’ Redick added. ‘We feel very fortunate that we were able to execute and get someone like (Finney-Smith) on our team. We will continue to look over the next several weeks.’
The Lakers had multiple true centers on the roster (Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee) when Los Angeles won the NBA championship in the bubble in 2020.
The Lakers will play their next six games on the road, starting with a trip to Golden State on Saturday.
With the loss the Celtics have lost five of their last 10 games and will travel to Dallas for a 2024 NBA Finals rematch with the Mavericks.