Luka Doncic had 25 points on 9-of-22 from the field, LeBron James had 20 on 9-of-21 and Austin Reaves had 15 on 4-of-10 shooting. The Lakers shot 39% from the field as a unit and were out-rebounded and out-assisted. It was another poor effort against a team that is among the league’s elite, a consistent theme for L.A. this season.

And perhaps no one was more upset about the showing than Lakers legend and Spectrum SportsNet studio analyst James Worthy. He panned the Lakers for the way they showed up in the game, especially against such an important rival like the Celtics, via NBA Courtside:

James Worthy RIPS the Lakers after their loss to the Celtics

“No heart, weak… This afternoon, was weak. It’s the Boston Celtics… To me, No respect for the uniform. You come out and get out rebounded, Pritchard and Jaylen Brown, you can sniff out weakness. When you do that,… pic.twitter.com/KZVLpWsJD1

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) February 23, 2026

Worthy verbalizes what many fans have felt about the Lakers for much of this season. They put on great performances when facing the league’s worst teams, but seem to consistently lay eggs when playing against good opponents. They rarely just get outplayed, they get outworked and blown out by any team that is seriously contending for a top playoff spot.

The Lakers have played 13 games against teams currently in the top four of each conference. They are 2-11 in those games with 10 of the losses coming by 10 or more points. At a certain point, those results can no longer be ignored in favor of the good results against bad teams, and Worthy was sure to recognize that.

Luka Doncic discusses how Lakers can match physicality

Doncic had 25 points in the loss, but acknowledged that he and the team need to be better offensively despite any increased physicality.

“I think they were physical. They were playing great defense. So we need better offense,” Doncic said after the loss. “We scored 89 points. That’s not like us, so we got to be better.”

Doncic emphasized that the only way to handle physicality is to meet it head on with more of it.

“You’ve just got to match the physicality on both ends, especially on the defensive end. You got to match the physicality,” he said.

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Riley led the Lakers and its stars to four championships during his time as the head coach, helping turn the storied franchise into the NBA’s most popular team.

Riley went on to work for the New York Knicks and Miami Heat, but he’ll always be remembered for his contributions to the purple and gold. Lakers history can’t be told without Riley and the organization finally honored the legendary coach with his own statue in front of Crpyto.com Arena.

In fitting fashion, Riley’s statue was unveiled before L.A.’s game against their heated rivals the Boston Celtics.

The official unveiling of Pat Riley's statue, which was placed between Magic Johnson's and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's.

(via @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/OThmEfAsXT

— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 22, 2026

First look at the #Lakers Pat Riley statue…

(via @melissarohlin) pic.twitter.com/O8tc0vn8jz

— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 22, 2026

According to the Lakers, the nearly eight-foot-tall, 510-pound bronze statue immortalizes Riley, intentionally positioned on the plaza between Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Known for his polished demeanor and sideline style, Riley is depicted in his classic Giorgio Armani-tailored suit with a crocodile leather belt and his 1985 championship ring, with his right fist raised, his signature signal throughout the Showtime-era for Johnson to deliver a pass to Abdul-Jabbar for the legendary skyhook.

Under Pat Riley’s inscribed name, the base of the sculpture reads “There will come a time when you are challenged, and when that time comes, you must plant your feet. You must stand firm. You must make a point. About who you are, what you do, and where you come from. When that time comes, you do it.”

Additionally, the sculpture base includes acknowledgements and commemorates Riley’s career with notable accolades as a player, coach and executive, including 24 head coaching seasons and 1,381 regular season and playoff wins, ranking him fifth all time. The right side of the base features bible verse Mark 3:25 – “A house divided against itself will not stand” – a reference Riley used with his Lakers Showtime team.

The statue was designed and created by Omri Amrany and Sean Bell of Rotblatt Amrany Studio, the studio that also created statues honoring Bryant, Hearn, Abdul-Jabbar, O’Neal and others.

Following the statue unveiling, Riley made a statement regarding the honor and what it means to him.

“I want to thank all of you,” said Pat Riley. “Significance doesn’t come from comfort. It comes from adversity, from discipline, from refusing to be ordinary. One day we look back with the incredible pride and gratitude to have been part of something truly special. That statue right there is loaded up with all of us who took this magical journey.”

Riley became L.A.’s head coach during the 1981-81 season and immediately revamped the team’s offensive philosophy and play style. He had already seen success with the franchise as he won a championship in 1980 as an assistant coach and another in 1972 as a player.

However, under Riley’s leadership the Lakers won 50 games every season, including five campaigns winning 60 or more games. Riley’s final season coaching L.A. didn’t result in a title but he was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year.

Riley becomes the eighth figure in Lakers history to have a statue erected in his honor, but is the only coach on the list. Riley changed the franchise forever and rightfully deserves his place among the greats.

JJ Redick says Pat Riley is north star for all coaches

Pat Riley’s basketball acumen and ability to communicate made him a successful head coach wherever he went, becoming a model for modern NBA coaches like JJ Redick. In fact, Redick called Riley the north star for all coaches because of what he managed to accomplish during his career.

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Smart was a part of a three-team trade that shipped him to the Memphis Grizzlies and brought Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics. Since then, he has struggled with injuries and is not that player he once was a few years ago.

However, the veteran guard looked to rehab his value and play winning basketball again by signing with Los Angeles. So far it has been a success for both parties as Smart is playing as well as he has in years.

Not many players can say they have played for two historic franchises like the Lakers and Celtics, so Smart discussed what the feeling is like, via the NBA:

"It’s 42? That I am surprised at."

We put Marcus Smart on the spot to see how many players have suited up for both the Celtics and Lakers… how many could he name?

6:30pm/et | NBC & Peacock | Sunday Night Basketball pic.twitter.com/d8RCeN9RAm

— NBA (@NBA) February 22, 2026

Sunday features the second meeting between the two franchises, Smart did not play in the first meeting in Boston. L.A. opted to rest key players back on Dec. 5, leading to a lopsided loss and not highlighting the theatrics that are baked into whenever these teams matchup.

Now with the Lakers fully healthy coming into this one, there should be more intrigue as Smart gets to play against his former team. He missed the first matchup between these two teams in Boston a couple of months ago.

The purple and gold have been looking to get back to the mountaintop and time will tell if Smart can win a championship on one side of the rivalry, which would tie the Lakers with the Celtics at 18 total titles each.

Marcus Smart was excited to reunite with Luke Kennard

At the trade deadline, the Lakers opted to stay quiet outside of trading for Luke Kennard. While it is not a flashy move, Kennard fills a role of providing a bit of a scoring punch off the bench, which L.A. needs desperately.

Before his time with the Atlanta Hawks, the sharpshooter was on the Memphis Grizzlies with Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia. Now he gets to play alongside them both in Los Angeles and Smart in particular was excited to reunite Kennard and it has been a great fit so far.

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Unlike the Lakers, the Clippers made multiple trades at the deadline. The Clippers shipped out James Harden and Ivica Zubac, leaving just Kawhi Leonard to star for the team. While the Clippers roster looks worse on paper, they’ve remained a competitive team that still can win on any given night so the Lakers couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

The Lakers took the upper hand in the first quarter behind an offensive explosion led by their “Big 3” but the Clippers hung around the rest of the way. The game got even closer in the second half, with the Lakers and Clippers trading the lead.

Both teams battled hard and the game itself came down to the final possession as the Lakers turned the basketball over, giving the Clippers a chance to send things to overtime. Fortunately, Nicolas Batum missed the game-tying 3-pointer and the Lakers escaped with a 125-122 victory.

Luka Doncic showed no physical setbacks in his first official game back with the Lakers as he enjoyed going up against a Clippers team he knows quite well at this point. Doncic was relentless from the opening tip, looking to score in the paint and from the outside. Doncic was particularly effective from beyond the arc as he hit several difficult attempts.

Doncic’s scoring outburst continued into the fourth as he relished going up against Kris Dunn. Overall, Luka finished with a game-high 38 points to go along with 11 assists, six rebounds and two steals.

Austin Reaves returned to the starting lineup after it was announced his minutes restriction was finally lifted and he responded with an efficient scoring night. The time off did Reaves well as he looked 100 percent on the floor, scoring and playing with his usual high effort on both sides of the basketball.

Reaves was excellent scoring the basketball, dropping 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting including 4-of-5 from the 3-point line. He also added six rebounds, two assists and two steals.

What’s next for the Lakers

The Lakers will honor former head coach Pat Riley with a statue ceremony prior to their game on Sunday against the Boston Celtics. They’ll then continue their home stand on Tuesday against the Orlando Magic.

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Reaves has spent countless hours in the gym not only perfecting his skills on the court, but also improving his body, adding the necessary strength to be able to absorb contact and finish in the lane. He has dedicated himself to being the absolute best player he can be and it has shown in his play on the court.

Now, Reaves is giving a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into his workout and training via DAZN’s Team Whistle sports media group and Factor. The latest episode of their flagship docu-series “No Days Off” chronicled Reave putting in work in the gym to be at his best for the Lakers:

It is always great to see the discipline and work these players put in behind the scenes and if anyone is a great representation of “No Days Off,” it is Reaves who has embraced that mindset since even before he made it to the NBA.

“No Days Off has always been about the relentless commitment it takes to succeed, and Factor is a natural partner to help tell that story,” said Joe Caporoso, President, Team Whistle. “By embedding Factor into athletes’ real routines, we’re showing fans that the same fuel used by elite performers is accessible, practical, and built for everyday life.”

Cameras follow Reaves through an intense training day, from early workouts to recovery, highlighting how nutrition plays a critical role in supporting performance. The episode highlights how Factor plays a critical role in Reaves’ daily routine, showcasing how he relies on fresh, chef-crafted meals to stay fueled, recover efficiently, and maintain focus throughout a demanding schedule, reinforcing that pro-level habits are built through everyday choices.

“At Factor, we believe peak performance is built on everyday choices, and No Days Off captures the discipline and consistency it takes to compete at the highest level,” said Christopher Stadler, Chief Marketing Officer at Factor. “We’re proud to show how Factor’s chef-crafted, dietitian-approved meals support that performance both on and off the court, making it easier for anyone to eat like a pro.”

As he noted, Reaves wasn’t a highly recruited player out of high school and then obviously went undrafted before signing with the Lakers in 2021. One of the things that he needed to do upon entering the league was to get stronger, especially with his game being predicated on getting into the paint.

The Lakers guard is now so much better at initiating and finishing through contact and it shows in how his free throw attempts have increased over the years.

It is also worth mentioning that Reaves said in the video that he hopes to play his entire career with the Lakers. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason so it is possible that he could choose to go elsewhere. But he has said regularly that he wants to remain in L.A. and the franchise is certainly dedicated to keeping him so if both sides have their way, Reaves will remain in purple and gold for a very long time.

Lakers’ Austin Reaves credits Rajon Rondo as first veteran mentor

Austin Reaves has also been fortunate to have some veterans to show him the way since joining the Lakers and he credited point guard Rajon Rondo as being the first veteran to take him under his wing.

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