Lakers unveil statue of legendary former coach Pat Riley as pregame speech fuels rivalry drama

Former Lakers coach pat riley was honored with his own statue outside the Crypto. com Center during a private ceremony on Sunday ahead of a Lakers-Celtics showdown — and his pregame speech, which targeted Boston, became part of the night’s storyline after the Celtics routed the Lakers 111-89.

Statue unveiling outside Crypto. com Center took place during private ceremony

The team held a private ceremony on Sunday to unveil a statue of the former Lakers coach outside the Crypto. com Center. The event came immediately before a Lakers-Celtics showdown, drawing attention from fans and former players who would attend the game later that night.

Pat Riley’s pregame remarks singled out Boston: "The time has come to kick some a**"

The current Heat team president used his speech to show disdain for Boston, delivering an emphatic line: "The time has come to kick some a**, " followed by, "To kick some Boston a**. " The comments set a confrontational tone ahead of the historic rivalry matchup.

Boston cruised to 111-89 win at Crypto. com arena as Riley watched from the stands

The Lakers did not appear to follow the messaging from the pregame speech. Boston cruised to a 111-89 victory at Crypto. com arena, with pat riley and several other Lakers legends watching the game from the stands. The margin underscored how one-sided the contest became despite the pregame bravado.

Joe Mazzulla’s candid reaction: excitement tempered by focus on Phoenix

When told about Riley’s comments after the rout, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla reacted with clear amusement: "He said that? I wish I would have heard that. That’s fun, that’s awesome. Damn. " Still, Mazzulla stressed he did not want his team to be sidetracked by the rivalry atmosphere on Sunday night.

Mazzulla urged sustained mindset ahead of Tuesday game without Booker and Brooks

Mazzulla warned against short-term motivation, saying, "No I don’t, " in response to whether the team should feed off external provocation. He added that the Celtics have to "find a way to do it at Phoenix, " noting that if the spark is "short-term" or "extrinsic, " it would be difficult to convert into an "intrinsic" drive 48 hours later. He emphasized "having the gratitude and perspective of what a game like this means, and being aware of your atmosphere brings out the best in people. "

The win capped a dominant stretch for Boston: the team has won three straight games and eight of their last nine overall, and Boston has won seven of those contests by double digits. Mazzulla also pointed to the next challenge, saying the bright lights "won’t be out Tuesday night" when the Celtics play a shorthanded Suns squad missing Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks. He expressed hope the Celtics’ mindset will remain steady as they look to improve to 3-0 on their road trip.

Process and preparation remain central after one-sided victory

Mazzulla reiterated the need for consistent work regardless of the result. "We are only a product of what we do tomorrow when we do the next day and that’s just the story, " he said, adding that even if the Celtics had lost by one, "tomorrow’s film session has to be as detailed and as disciplined as is going to be with the result that we have. " He concluded that "it’s not done yet and we haven’t done anything, " summarizing the team’s approach to "stick to the process of winning on both ends of the floor, put our head down, don’t overreact to a good win or to a bad loss and get better in the next game. "