The Boston Celtics ended their three-game losing skid with a dominant 139-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night at TD Garden.
Boston was led in the scoring column by Jayson Tatum (27 points), Kemba Walker (20), and Jaylen Brown (20). It responded to L.A.'s 8-0 run out the gate by playing sensational defense throughout the remainder of the contest.
Here are three instant overreactions from the C's win, which brings them to 28-14 on the year:
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1. The Celtics desperately needed this kind of win.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
You could argue this was the C's most impressive victory of their 2019-20 campaign thus far, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
Boston is in the middle of the most grueling part of its schedule and has gone through a bit of a rough patch coming off three straight losses against the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.
This was the kind of victory that could turn the Celtics' luck around. And after suffering tough losses recently to their top Eastern Conference foes (Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers), it's reassuring to see this performance against the best in the West.
2. C's have the formula for stopping Anthony Davis.
Verdict: Overreaction
Boston Celtics
Anthony Davis was barely heard from in this game. He got himself into foul trouble early on and finished with a mere nine points and four rebounds in 23 minutes.
The Celtics deserve all the credit in the world for limiting he Lakers superstar, but that isn't something we should expect to happen again when these two teams meet up again next month, and certainly not something we should anticipate if they meet up in June. While they got the better of Davis this time around, this still isn't a team that matches up well against playmakers of his size.
3. Enes Kanter is Boston's X-factor.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
Kanter was the catalyst for the Celtics, scoring 18 points in the first half to help his team head into the locker room with a commanding 69-55 lead. He also tallied 11 rebounds, six of which were offensive boards.
The Turkish big man, just as he's been all season long, was the X factor in Monday night's victory. We know this team revolves around Tatum, Walker and Brown, but Kanter's invaluable presence off the bench cannot be overstated. He's the reason this team is capable of sustaining its success without making a trade for a center before the Feb. 6 deadline.
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Don't miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Grizzlies-Celtics, which begins Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live, followed by tip-off at 7:30 p.m. You can also stream the game on the MyTeams App.