Here's to Kuzma Destroying the Celtics for Years to Come

In the recent battle between all-time rivals, the Lakers beat the Celtics, 108-107.  It was a glorious win.  Well, it wasn’t perfect as the Lakers continue to struggle at the charity stripe (.583 FT%).  But what made it truly glorious was Kyle Kuzma torching the Celtics in the 4^th quarter, where he scored 17 of his 28 points.

The Celtics – the objectively better team, being the top seed in the East – were mostly in control of the first half.  They initially dictated the pace, and held the Lakers to a season-low 15 points in the first quarter.  But Jordan Clarkson (22 points at 47.1% shooting) and Kuzma came off the bench to give the Lakers a boost.  And the latter gave a hint of what was to come with plays like this:

The spin-move has somewhat become a trademark of his.

At the end of the half, the Lakers were only behind by eight points, thanks primarily to the efforts of Clarkson and Kuzma.

The Lakers then outscored the Celtics in the 3^rd quarter, that they got to have a two point lead entering the final quarter.  However, the Celtics soon took back the lead in the opening minutes of the fourth.

That was when Kuzma decided to take over, showcasing his skill set.

As demonstrated by this shot over Kyrie Irving, he possesses the footwork to create separation from his defender.

Look at him asking for the ball.  The display of willingness and confidence to be the go-to man is amazing for a rookie.

Even if you put a hand on his face, it doesn't matter.

In this beautiful sequence, he shows the ability to collapse strong defenses and hand out sweet dishes.  Once he masters striking a balance between gunslinger and playmaker, as what Coach Walton hopes for him, he will only become more lethal.

And, once again, that devastating spin-move!

Thus, despite sucking at the free-throw line, the Lakers escaped with the narrow win.  As far as the bigger picture is concerned, it’s not really a significant win, as the Lakers’ record simply improved to 18-29.  Nevertheless, it’s still a feel-good feeling since it came against the Celtics, and more importantly, it stemmed from another jaw-dropping performance from Kuzma, being the 2017 draft’s steal and all.  With the Lakers having another losing season for the nth straight year, it’s all right to enjoy and celebrate these small wins.  They are glimpses of future glory.

May Kyle Kuzma continue destroying the Celtics – and any opponents for that matter – for years to come!