BOSTON — The Celtics entered the season with just four players from last year’s roster, so Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden was the first taste of the NBA’s best rivalry for many of Boston’s players.
Included among them was superstar point guard Kyrie Irving, who seemed to enjoy the atmosphere that Lakers-Celtics creates.
“It felt good,” Irving said after the Celtics’ 107-96 win. “You could definitely see it was a different buzz from the other games and of course, the ‘Beat LA’ chants. I have only watched that on YouTube and now I got to experience it out here. That was really exciting.”
Irving is no stranger to rivalries, though. He’s played in three straight NBA Finals, all coming against the Golden State Warriors while he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. That trilogy marked the first time in league history that two teams had met in the NBA Finals in three consecutive seasons.
He also played one year at Duke, which boasts one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Irving scored 19 points on 7-for-21 shooting in Boston’s win over its longtime rival, including two clutch shots late in the fourth quarter to extend the C’s lead beyond the Lakers’ reach.
Wednesday’s matchup was the first time in a while that this rivalry has had a real buzz and energy to it. These foes will play one more time in the regular season on Jan. 23 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
