The Celtics and Lakers knew the assignment. This matchup was the reigning champions facing their storied rivals that featured superstars old and new. The hype matched the play on the floor as both teams battled like it was a playoff game.
By the end of the night, it was the Celtics who came out victorious in a 111-101 win over the Lakers on Saturday at TD Garden. The Celtics had to fend off the Lakers near the end, but they were successful in doing so. The C’s improved to 46-18 on the season while the Lakers dropped to 40-22. Boston also snapped Los Angeles’ eight-game win streak.
The first half of Saturday’s game featured arguably the best play of the year. Both teams were at the peak of their powers as they threw and traded blows in front of a juiced crowd. The physicality was evident as the referees allowed both teams to play. The stars — whether it was Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on one side or LeBron James and Luka Doncic on the other — were in full force.
The C’s blew the game open courtesy of a 29-4 run midway through the game. Their lead peaked at 22 points as the Lakers mustered just 13 points in the third quarter. But the Lakers weren’t about to go down on this stage without scrapping and clawing their way back. Even though James left in crunch-time due to a groin injury, the Lakers threatened to pull off the comeback. But the C’s never let it get closer than a six-point game as they executed their way to the win.
Both teams were without key pieces as the Celtics missed Kristaps Porzingis and the Lakers were without Jaxson Hayes. But there was still plenty of starpower and storylines everywhere. Saturday was not only Doncic’s first trip to the Garden as a Laker, but also his first game against the Celtics since the 2024 NBA Finals. James' status, though, is now up in the air going forward.
The Celtics got the better of the Lakers this time, avenging their worst loss of the season, a 21-point blowout in Los Angeles back in January. Some fans will likely daydream about a potential NBA Finals matchup between these two teams. There’s a lot of basketball to be played until then, but both teams are currently playing great ball.
Tatum finished with 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Brown had another 31 points and six rebounds. James poured in 22 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, though he had an early exit. Doncic had 34 points and eight rebounds (more on him later) as he was huge in the second half for the Lakers.
The Celtics host the Jazz next at 7:30 p.m. Monday as part of their seven-game home stand. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Los Angeles:
Came to play: Tatum and Brown were both excellent as they played with an edge to their game Saturday. Of course, it wasn’t just them. Al Horford was a little spicy going up against a longtime foe in James. The Celtics waded through some midseason malaise a couple months ago that translated to losses — that wasn’t the case Saturday. Tatum was stellar as he did it all, filling up the box score. Brown, as always at his best, set a level of physicality for the Celtics. Plus his work guarding Doncic again stood out, much like in the NBA Finals last year.
Turning it back: Appreciate guys like Horford and James while you still can — these old heads can still ball. While everyone knows what James is capable at 40, this was another vintage Horford night. The big man played the entire third quarter, finishing with 37 minutes, 14 points and nine rebounds on the night. Horford was clearly playing inspired, matching the game’s physicality, hustling after loose balls and nearly making a heave at the end of the third quarter. There’s a reason the Celtics love their vet so much — he showed it throughout Saturday’s game consistently.
Mixed bag: Saturday was the first time Doncic played against the Celtics; he was immediately reminded of the NBA Finals. The C’s made life difficult for the star, though Doncic got his production in the second half. Doncic finished with 34 points, eight rebounds and three assists, shooting 11-for-22 from the field and had five turnovers. While Doncic struggled early, he got through in the second half to will the Lakers to a comeback attempt.
Tight rotations: While it was a regular season game ultimately Saturday, C’s coach Joe Mazzulla kept it right. Tatum finished with 45 minutes, including the entire first and third quarters, while Brown played 42, though they got an early night due to the game getting out of hand. Payton Pritchard was the primary sixth man with Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser also getting some time. Porzingis was out, so that was also part of the rotation equation.
