5 best 2019 moments for Los Angeles Lakers
By Amaar Burton
3. Rajon Rondo’s buzzer-beater in Boston
Even though the Los Angeles Lakers were headed for the lottery and the Boston Celtics would finish with a thud in the second round of the postseason, their meeting on Feb. 7 had a palatable playoff atmosphere. It even gave off a scent of the familiar intensity between these longtime rivals that have met in the NBA Finals 12 times.
In front of a national TV audience, the Celtics took a one-point lead with 11 seconds to go on Kyrie Irving‘s high-arcing floater.
Brandon Ingram then went to the bucket trying to win it for L.A., but he was blocked by Boston’s Al Horford. A loose ball scramble ended with Rajon Rondo gaining possession and he flicked in a jumper to beat the buzzer and win the game.
It was a great moment for Rondo, who began his NBA career in Boston and had his most notable success with the Celtics. Rondo was involved in two Lakers-Celtics Finals, winning a ring in 2008 and losing in 2010.
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It was also an unlikely moment, as Rondo’s jump shot has always been the glaring flaw in his game and the source of jokes for years. Other than L.A.’s defensive-specialist center Tyson Chandler, Rondo was the last man on the floor you would’ve wanted to take that shot on that night.
Watching the Lakers celebrate on Boston’s court was a reminder of what the decades-old rivalry could be if and when both teams are elite again.
This season, with the Lakers on top of the West and the Celtics not far behind the top of the East, it could come down to another NBA Finals matchup in 2020.