Just when the Los Angeles Lakers appeared to be building momentum in a marquee rivalry matchup, an early setback threatened to derail their rhythm. In the first half of Sunday’s showdown against the Boston Celtics, a key member of the Lakers’ frontcourt rotation went down, casting uncertainty over their interior depth.

That player was big man Jaxson Hayes, who exited with a right ankle injury and was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest. Hayes logged just five minutes before heading to the locker room at halftime, finishing with two points on 1-of-2 shooting.

It remains unclear exactly when the injury occurred. Though his stat line was brief, Hayes’ absence loomed large, particularly given his value as an athletic rebounder and interior presence. Losing one of their primary frontcourt options midway through such a high-stakes rivalry game could prove costly for Los Angeles moving forward.

After the All-Star break, the Lakers had a full roster for the first time in the season. Hayes’ injury comes at a very crucial time when Los Angeles is trying to build on-court chemistry as the playoffs get closer. Hayes, being a big part of the Lakers’ rotation, makes the injury even more concerning. 

He was a big part of the Lakers’ lob threat playing alongside the likes of LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The Lakers will try to fill in for Hayes’ quality minutes by increasing playing time for Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber. Moreover, if the Lakers’ big man is ruled out for longer, JJ Redick might have to go small at times.

The Lakers would hope to hear an encouraging update on Hayes’ injury after an embarrassing loss to the visitors.

Celtics annihilate Lakers after Jaxson Hayes’ ankle injury

At this point, the Lakers have built a notorious reputation for losing games on special days. They lost to the Denver Nuggets when LeBron James became the first-ever player to score 40,000 points in the NBA. Two years ago, they faced a similar fate as today against the Celtics. The Purple & Gold faced the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 8, 2024, in a 114-106 loss after the Lakers unveiled Kobe Bryant’s statue outside the Crypto.com Arena.

On Sunday, the Lakers unveiled a statue of Pat Riley, the most celebrated coach in the franchise’s history, who led the team during its golden era of basketball. Riley’s coaching period coincided with the peak of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry. Both teaextra motivation to win, and the Lakers faltered once again, facing an embarrassing 22-point defeat at the hands of the visitors.

Only three of the Lakers players, Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, scored in double digits. The hosts displayed poor execution on both ends of the floor. The Celtics shot 48 percent from the field, including 39 percent from the 3-point line. On the other hand, the hosts shot just 39 percent from the field, which included 30 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lakers missed some wide-open shots, highlighted by all five 3-pointers missed by Marcus Smart, almost all of which were wide open. LeBron and Reaves made a combined two 3-pointers on nine attempts. They also refused to attack the inside of the Celtics’ defense. The Lakers clearly felt Hayes’ absence. They were out-rebounded 50 to 39 by the Celtics.

The Lakers have now dropped to 6th place in the West, just 1.5 wins ahead of the Phoenix Suns. They will face the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.