The Lakers Waste Huge Comeback (and Performances from Anthony Davis, LeBron) vs. Celtics, Lose in OT

When does a great comeback morph into a massive disappointment? How about when you lose a 13-point lead with about 4:30 left in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers did Tuesday against Boston. This after coming back from a 20-point third quarter deficit. But ultimately, the Lakers lost in overtime, 122-118, falling to 11-16 on the season. Anthony Davis, aside from a pair of critical free throws he missed with under a minute to go, was again strong. LeBron James played arguably his best game of the season, taking into consideration the competition.

Both guys played basically the entire second half, and all of OT. 46 minutes for AD, 43 for LeBron. That's a lot of energy used without a victory to show for it.

So great, the Lakers played another top level team tough, and had a chance to win. But bigger picture, they didn't, and more importantly, at this point it's fair to say the Lakers have a major problem closing games. Whether you're talking about Tuesday vs. Boston, games against Sacramento, Indiana, Philadelphia, Detroit and more, this is not a team that knows how to effectively protect a lead (or in the case of the Philly game, accept a gift when offered).

So where do the Lakers go from here? Has this stretch of improved play (and yes, the Lakers are much improved compared to the 2-10 start) made a trade more viable? Are they too deep into the season to do something impactful? They're not abiding by moral victories, but is there enough there for a transaction to transform those into a lot of actual wins?

And finally, Darvin Ham said one major problem for the Lakers is that they consistently fall behind in games. (LA came into Tuesday's game 23rd in the NBA in first quarter point differential, and lost the first quarter Tuesday by 13.) One potential reason? Darvin's dedication to Pat Beverley in the starting lineup.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers lose arguably their worst game of the season. Don't think of it as a comeback that fell short, but instead it's a game that they blew a big lead, late.

SEGMENT 2: Tuesday's loss comes with a cost. Where do they go from here?

SEGMENT 3: Is it time for Ham to change the starting lineup?

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