OK, sure, a game that ended up with a 39-point margin … probably wasn’t ever going to be the Lakers’ night.

But watching the replay, I noted where the Celtics took over. When my sense of a long night for the Lakers became a conviction.

It was 32-29 Boston. The Lakers had just gotten a three-point play. They were hanging around.

Then came a sequence that capsulized all the issues that were going to turn the Lakers into monster losers.

Boston came down and took a shot, and got the offensive rebound. Then another shot and offensive board. Then a third shot and O-board.

On the Celtics’ fourth look at the basket, Sam Posey swished a three-pointer. Now it’s a six-point game and the Lakers’ defensive effort that yielded three missed shots … had gone to waste. It was a momentum-turning, spirit-killing moment. Had the Lakers rebounded any of those first three misses, they go on the attack with a chance to tie.

Instead, the Lakers made a turnover. The Celtics came down and get a three from Eddie House.

Now it’s a nine-point game. Lakers timeout. And they never got another sniff of the game.