Saturday night featured a highly anticipated showdown between two of the NBA’s most historic franchises and fiercest rivals.
The Boston Celtics hosted the surging Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden, aiming to put an end to their eight-game winning streak—and they did just that.
Behind standout performances from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics secured a 111-101 victory. Tatum, a five-time All-Star, delivered a dominant performance with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, while Brown contributed 31 points.
Beyond the snapped win streak, the Lakers may have an even bigger concern.
With the game still close in the fourth quarter, LeBron James exited for the locker room and was later ruled out with a groin strain, adding to the Lakers’ growing challenges.
After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick expressed concern about LeBron James’ injury but had no further updates.
James, however, downplayed the severity, stating it wasn’t as serious as the partial left groin tear he suffered on Christmas Day in 2018, which forced him to miss 17 consecutive games.
“Not much concern,” James said post-game. “Day-to-day, we’ll assess it each day to see if it gets better, take the proper steps, and figure out what needs to be done moving forward.”
Both the Lakers and Celtics are currently sitting in second place in their respective conferences, and Saturday’s matchup was filled with back-and-forth action.
The Lakers came out strong, opening with a 7-0 run, but the Celtics quickly found their rhythm. By the end of the first quarter, Jayson Tatum’s three-pointer tied the game at 33-33.
Despite strong performances from Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the game remained tight, with Boston taking a slight 58-54 lead into halftime.
After the break, the Celtics erupted, opening the second half with a 19-2 run.
By the end of the third quarter, the Lakers found themselves trailing by 20 points, 87-67, after struggling with more turnovers than field goals.
However, Los Angeles mounted a comeback in the fourth, going on a 16-2 run to cut the deficit to just seven points at 92-85.
At one point, both LeBron James and Luka Dončić were seen receiving treatment from the training staff, though James remained in the game. Dončić finished with a team-high 34 points.
The 40-year-old LeBron James, who recently became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 career points, finished the game just one assist shy of a triple-double, recording 22 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.
Despite efforts to close the gap, the Lakers struggled to find an answer for Jayson Tatum and the Celtics.
With just over two minutes remaining, Tatum hit a crucial three-pointer to push the lead to 105-95, effectively sealing the win.
The victory gave Boston its 46th win of the season, while the Lakers fell to 40-22.
Tatum reflected on the significance of the rivalry between the two franchises during an ESPN interview after the game.
“It’s an honor, the history, tradition, all the legends who wore these uniforms and competed in these battles,” Tatum said. “The NBA is a better place when the Lakers and Celtics are both at their best.”
Both teams will be back in action on Monday, with the Celtics hosting the Utah Jazz and the Lakers heading to the Barclays Center to face the Brooklyn Nets in the second game of their four-game road trip.
