The Lakers trailed several times in the fourth quarter, but the team ended the game on an 8-0 run and were playing flawless basketball in the last few minutes. The team clearly has an intense rivalry with the Celtics and their trash-talking seemed to fuel the Lakers in the final stretch.
Lakers forward Metta World Peace told reporters after the game that the team was upset with the Celtics’ chatter during the game and although they stayed quiet, the players wanted to shut Boston up with their play, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times reports.
“I just try to play basketball, then people start talking and I try to ignore it. But it’s hard to ignore somebody who continues to talk,” World Peace said. “But you hear guys are talking and they’re into the game. It’s that competitive nature where everybody is trying to back up what they’re saying. Today everybody was trying to back up what they’re saying.”
The Lakers went on to beat the Celtics for perhaps one of the best wins of the season. World Peace had another great game and showed the world that he still has some basketball left in him. The Lakers can be a very dangerous team if World Peace elevates his game.