One night later, Boston players all but shrugged their shoulders after falling to the Lakers 117-96 on the second leg of a back-to-back. Kristaps Porziņģis, who has been critical of the Celtics after their worst games recently, sounded ready to dump the latest poor result into the nearest trash can and forget about it for good.

It was the most lopsided defeat of the season for Boston, which came in riding a two-game win streak. The Celtics dropped to 31-14 on the season and 10-9 in their last 19 games. K

The Celtics struggled to find their rhythm on both ends of the floor, with inefficient offense and defensive lapses proving costly. Despite a strong start from Kristaps Porzingis, Boston’s supporting cast and energy levels couldn’t match the Lakers’ intensity.

Boston’s starting five is finding cohesion, and its defense stifled Golden State. The Celtics’ ability to stay consistent will be tested against the Clippers, who sit fifth in the Western Conference standings and sport a 15-7 record at the Intuit Dome.