Saturday night saw an exciting matchup between two of the NBA’s most iconic teams, with a deep-rooted rivalry on display.
The Boston Celtics hosted the Los Angeles Lakers, who were riding an impressive eight-game winning streak, at the TD Garden.
The Celtics managed to put an end to the Lakers’ hot streak with a victorious performance.
The Celtics secured a 111-101 victory over the Lakers, thanks to stellar performances from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum, a five-time All-Star, posted 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Brown contributed 31 points.
In addition to ending the Lakers’ winning streak, the team now faces a potentially bigger concern.
With the game tight in the fourth quarter, LeBron James was seen heading to the locker room and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a groin strain.
After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick expressed concern over LeBron James’ injury but provided no further details.
James, however, downplayed the seriousness of the issue, noting that it was not as severe as the partial left groin tear he sustained on Christmas Day in 2018, which kept him sidelined for 17 consecutive games.
“Not much concern,” James stated after the game. “Day-to-day, we’ll monitor it and see how it progresses. We’ll take the necessary 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, making this matchup crucial for both teams. The game was full of momentum swings.
The Lakers started strong with a 7-0 run, but the Celtics quickly settled in, tying the game 33-33 after a Tatum three-pointer to end the first quarter.
Despite Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s offensive brilliance, the game remained close, and Boston held a narrow 58-54 lead at halftime.
The Celtics came out of the break with renewed energy, starting the second half with a dominant 19-2 run.
The Lakers were down by 20 points at the end of the third quarter, trailing 87-67, after a rough stretch marked by more turnovers than field goals.
However, Los Angeles rallied in the fourth, going on a 16-2 run to cut the deficit to 92-85.
During this time, both LeBron James and Luka Doncic were shown receiving treatment from the trainers, although James remained in the game. Doncic finished with a team-high 34 points for the Mavericks.
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. He recorded 22 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.
Despite their efforts to reduce the deficit, the Lakers struggled to find a way to stop Tatum and the Celtics.
With just over two minutes remaining, Tatum hit a crucial three-pointer to extend Boston’s lead to 105-95.
The victory brought the Celtics to 46 wins for the season, while the Lakers dropped to 40-22.
Tatum spoke about the significance of the rivalry between the two franchises in an interview after the game, saying, “It’s an honor, the history, tradition, all the legends that wore these uniforms, that competed in these battles. The NBA is a better place when the Lakers and Celtics are both good.”
Both teams will return to action on Monday, with the Celtics hosting the Utah Jazz and the Lakers traveling to Brooklyn to face the Nets in the second game of their four-game road trip.