INSTANT REACTION: Celtics cap off West Coast trip with Christmas Day win over Lebron James, Lakers

INSTANT REACTION: Celtics cap off West Coast trip with Christmas Day win over Lebron James, Lakers

[Applause] holiday kicks to the corner for a Hower three that’s no good jayen crashes the glass offensive rebound puts it off the window and in scor it and the foul welcome in Celtics post game live scal Chris forsburg Eddie House Mina Smith here with you the Celtics win this

One against the Lakers 126 to 115 it was a tight battle at the half but then this Celtics scene they were able to establish their dominance in that second half Scout what did you see in this match up from Boston I saw the first quarter the Celtics are so much better

Than the Lakers how the Lakers fight back and you see it again in the second half like when we’re playing basketball the way that we’ve been playing on this West Coast trip we’ll have our lows during the game but come on like there’s a different level between the Celtics

And where they’re at right now and and you could probably say this about a lot of teams in the NBA but no doubt today like there’s a different level between a motivated Celtic team and that Laker team and like look everybody was really good but can we can we just have a

Moment for the Derek White Christmas like it I don’t know when I’ll stop being surprised by how good he is scal but like every single night he does something and I know it’s been the blocks the past few games and he had what two more today two more steals

Stock Exchange is out of control I thought Drew holiday was great too you could fold him right in there but Derek just like controlled the game when he wanted to and those the nine what was it I got to see the final blocks I think maybe get up to 10 assists he was

Fantastic out there and I love everything that he’s bringing and even though the price tag keeps going up he is so vital to when they play their best basketball so much of it goes back to Derek white and so I just want to Rave about him every

Every opportunity we get yeah you can’t complain about that 11 assists for Derek white in this win against the Lakers uh Eddie what stood out to you about the Celtics it looked like finally what’s happening is our defense catching up with our offense all season long early

On in the season you know we shoot threes we make threes and our defense sometimes wouldn’t cover up when we didn’t shoot the three particularly well well we had a stretch there when we didn’t shoot shoot the three well but we still defended we still was able to get

Deflection still able to get Block shots still able to rebound the basketball and not give up Second Chance opportunities and I the fact 31 assists on 46 field goals that thing is contagious I think they’re starting to understand when they move that ball they’re damn near uh uncoverable unguardable when they move

That basketball because they have so many weapons out there not only on the perimeter but now with the addition of porzingis you got somebody that could go down there and take advantage of a mismatch if they want to play that switch game and forsberg you wanted to

Gush about jerck white so let’s talk about J 18 points 11 assists in this win against the Lakers and just like you mentioned it does look like in this matchup that whenever Derek white wanted to do something he was able to easily impose his will I just like again it

Goes back to it for me it’s it gives the game what it needs right like okay someone else has got to go and Derrick’s just going to make sure they get the basketball he’s going to put him in good position he’s going to be roaming around on defense creating opportunities

Especially at that that first little stretch there two steals got you some easy buckets all of a sudden everything’s flowing the ball movement look who’s in the middle of it all just always making the right play knowing when to be aggressive and go at The Rim

I think that’s sort of to me is his biggest growth area too when he first got a kind of figure out his way where does he how does he impact the game was maybe a little bit more reluctant to take those shots now he’s like no like he’s really good at basketball he’s

Going to be willing to take those shots even on team overflowing with Talent swooping in left-handed block SC what also you know you could play fast you could play Slow he can be on the ball here here he is in the rightand pick and roll anytime he’s getting to that right

He’s good he can play off the ball he can cut defense I mean really like when you talk about him and and Drew holiday you can’t find a better pair of guys who let’s say use air quotes here I don’t know if those guys will be Allstars or

Not but outside of all stars that are in the NBA like those guys are so Elite so good at what they do and I think the Celtics and all of us and I’m sure everyone around the NBA recognizes that and Eddie we always talk about the

Impact that Derek white has on a game especially when the Celtics team wins what was the best thing he was able to do on the floor this afternoon let me say this first before I I say all the great things that he was able to do on

The court scal so we talk about all stars and making all-star teams and stuff like that right I think he’s a perfect guy for the Olympic team in Paris he’s the type of guy damn the allstar it’s gonna be tough to make the allstar he’s a perfect guy for the

Olympic team because he does everything he makes the right play he can defend he can block shot he gets Steals and he can score if you need to he understands the game he lets the game come to him so to me my push for Derek and I said this a

Few games ago he has become my favorite player on the Celtics because he’s like the unsung hero nobody really we Glo about it because we see it game in and game out but for the masses that don’t understand this was a perfect opport opportunity for them to get a glimpse of

What we’re blessed to see night in and night out from Derek white and that’s winning basketball plays understanding how to play the game of basketball and assist tonight like yeah he can score whenever he wants to but he makes the right play he’s getting guys involved he

Passes up a good shot for a great shot and that one block with that left hand I mean come on it’s not too many guys I mean we could probably count them on our hand guards that can make that play in the history of this game so when I look

At what Derek white is able to do it’s not what is he able to do it’s like what can’t he not do when he’s out on the basketball court and engaged and we mentioned that Stock Exchange Drew holiday also with 18 points seven rebounds and seven assist in scall I

Feel like Drew holiday is really starting to find his rhythm and his place with the Celtics roster on the floor yeah don’t gush too much because in the B Block we’re going to be a lot of gushing on Drew holiday as well so you guys know I’m just saying like Drew

Are you teasing right now with a little teasing we got a long show right but the holiday is awesome you want just kick that ball right yeah go ahead you can take him I’m going I got him later I’m going to keep it big picture I think

Drew is playing his best basketball of the last like probably two weeks in in Boston you know it’s same deal like I think he had to kind of find his way figure out where he fit into this system he’s had opportunities where if you’re

Down a player he can kind of kick up the scoring but it’s come a lot more natural the last few games and all a sudden you just look up and you’re like he’s flirting with 20 points and this is what true holiday does and so if you worried

A little bit about the shooting at the start of the year knew that was going to turn a corner eventually and he has just been fantastic the last two weeks and really a big part of why they were so good on the home stand and then taking

It out West I also love that head coach Joe Missoula is really empowering Drew holiday to be the quarterback of this team Eddie how are you seeing that show up on the floor well it was it was one play in in the in the second half he hit that three

In the corner and He barked at the guys defensively and you can see Jason Tatum respond right away to me that’s what what what Joe moula is looking for for for somebody that’s holding everybody accountable hey we got to keep it going let’s not let’s not relax this game

Ain’t over let’s keep it let’s keep our foot on the on the gas um but the thing is think about when Derek white came over right he came over on the trade deadline so he had the little small stretch of games and then we’re thrusted into the playoffs and then we’re in the

NBA finals and we all seen how good he could be last year we got a really good opportunity to see what he’s like when he starts getting comfortable now not only is he comfortable he’s empowered it’s the same thing with Drew holiday Drew holiday is getting has been

Empowered from the beginning of the Season it was just getting comfortable and acclimated to the teammates to his guys to this system understanding exactly what Joe wants from him and how to go about doing the things that Joe wants and I think right now it’s starting to the dust is settling at

First everything is is is going crazy he’s trying to figure out oh man okay where do I fit in at what do I where do I get my shots at how do I get the I think the dust is settled because the you know over a quarter of the season

Has been played and I I really believe that he’s starting to understand and feel this is what I need to do this is how I’m going to do it and once you know that scale you know this once you understand exactly what your role is and

How your role is is is carved out the minutes that you’re going to get the game becomes a lot easier because you’re not worried about those things all you’re worried about is going out there and and giving results and and that’s how to me that’s the one thing that I’ve

Seen with Drew is the fact that he is getting comfortable the dust has settled he knows exactly what he needs to do and what the what the team needs from him and he’s giving it to us yeah not just Joe but I’m sure Tatum and brown and white and Al and porzingis everyone

Telling him listen do you because we’ve seen what you’re capable of doing all right well speaking of Drew holiday he was Abby chin after this win let’s take a listen Drew coming in here beating this Lakers team as convincingly as you just did on Christmas day what does that

Mean Merry Christmas it’s it was it it was a good holiday you know um I think as a team we’re really in the groove uh it’s a great road trip that we had 3 And1 we wish could have went 4 and0 but um yeah we’ve been playing Well seiz

Control in that third quarter why is it so important for you guys to continue to push the pace um I think that’s how we grow as a team uh to be able to push the pace we play so fast and we can get out in the open court where you have JB and

JT working you can get Dy uh downhill or KP popping 43 um we just have so much Firepower that we’re hard to stop I know you take so much pride in guarding the other team’s best player what were you able to do against both ad and LeBron

Today uh just try to be a pest you know um they’re going to score and they’re going to get a lot of touches volume shots but uh just do your best to stay in front of them make them contested twos and enough out finally you mentioned this road trip what changed

After that loss to Golden State you guys go home three and one I think it was the loss I think the loss kind of uh sets the tone um you know especially in a game where we’re up 17 and and uh we wanted to win that game um I know how

Much it means to the the team that made it to the finals so so just be able to um end the road trip end the road trip the way we did was great Drew thank you congratulations Merry Christmas Merry Christmas

Chris Forsberg, Eddie House, Brian Scalabrine and Amina Smith offer instant analysis and reaction to the Celtics’ 126-115 Christmas Day win over the Lakers. Plus, Abby Chin goes 1-on-1 with Jrue Holiday after the game

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