It’s a soap opera, a business where drama is key to success. TNT aired the Boston Celtics game on Thursday night. They are familiar with drama. Every time there is a commercial break, they say that.

Therefore, the Celtics assumed they already knew how this episode would end when they entered the Garden to play the Los Angeles Lakers, even though they knew LeBron James and Anthony Davis would not be playing. A fortunate group of backup players makes some baskets and provides some defense, but ultimately the Celtics must come together and play with all of their might to win.

Just before tipoff, though, Austin Reaves slipped a revision under their nose. Their night was not going to be this one.

“Pregame, Jrue (Holiday) and I exchanged a, ‘Phew, this is going to be tough,'” Kristaps Porziņģis said. We are aware of how difficult these games may be. For a group such as ours, things can start out easily enough. However, there are times when it can be difficult, and tonight was one of those occasions.

Even as Porziņģis controlled the paint, the Lakers nailed seemingly every shot from distance and forced every turnover they could get their hands on. Boston never intentionally went on the offensive for more than a few possessions.

Adversity is necessary for a good storyline to have something to overcome. Even if the Celtics have been superior to the rest of the league from the start, the season wouldn’t be engaging without a thrilling comeback tale.