Any time the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers face each other on the court there's going to be interest, but it's only magnified now that former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Kyrie Irving and LeBron James have entered the rivalry.
The two stars each had strong games on Saturday night when the Celtics scored their latest victory in the matchup, winning 120-107. Irving finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while LeBron recorded a triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. And afterwards they embraced, sharing a brief chat on the floor.
Unsurprisingly, that connection continued in the locker room postgame. Irving was asked about LeBron and his situation with the Lakers right now, which is not going so well at the moment. Irving offered praise for LeBron's abilities, but also condolences for the fact that the Lakers might miss the playoffs.
"I feel for him ... Bron has always been a championship contender," Irving said. "He's such a great player, such a great teammate. When you're not eligible to qualify for the playoffs, it's hard, I can only imagine."
Celtics’ Kyrie Irving on Lakers’ LeBron James: “I feel for him... Bron has always been a championship contender. He’s such a great player, such a great teammate. When you’re not eligible to qualify for the playoffs, it’s hard, I can only imagine.” pic.twitter.com/mDGG7IHOPg
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 10, 2019
With the loss on Saturday night, the Lakers have now lost five games in a row, and 7 of 9 since the All-Star break. The slump has dropped them to 30-36 on the season, and they're now a full seven games out of the eighth playoff spot with just 16 to play. While they are mathematically still alive, the Lakers' playoff hopes are all but gone.
Assuming no miracle happens -- and it truly would be a miracle given their position in the standings and the multitude of injuries they're dealing with -- this will be the first time LeBron misses the playoffs since 2005, during his first stint with the Cavaliers. As Irving noted, it's tough not to make the playoffs at the end of a long season, but it will be especially difficult for LeBron after getting there so many years in a row.
