BOSTON — A few months ago, few people expected Saturday’s matchup between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers to be a potential NBA Finals preview. By the time the buzzer sounded for a 111-101 Celtics win, it was clear the rivalry between the league’s two winningest franchises has been renewed.
Though Luka Dončić’s fourth-quarter explosion showed he is capable of keeping the Lakers in big games, LeBron James’ fourth-quarter groin injury will loom large after this loss, which snapped Los Angeles’ eight-game win streak. With 6:44 left in the game, James called for a timeout and eventually headed to the locker room with a left groin strain.
This game was defined by its physicality, from Dončić’s taking an inadvertent knee to the head from Al Horford to multiple technical fouls. The Lakers had the upper hand most of the first half, until the Celtics kicked off a run late in the second quarter that would eventually carve open a 22-point lead by the middle of the third quarter.
The Celtics outscored the Lakers 26-13 in the third quarter as their defensive pressure effectively took James and Dončić’s playmaking out of the equation. James had seven assists by the first minute of the second quarter and then didn’t record another dime until the fourth quarter. Though Dončić eventually found a scoring rhythm after a rough opening period, he struggled to turn it on as the Celtics opened up a large lead.
JT side-step… CASH. 💸
He’s got 32p, 5 threes heading into the 4th on ABC! pic.twitter.com/KbsBW4Wk9B
— NBA (@NBA) March 9, 2025
But when James left the game midway through the fourth quarter, Dončić checked into the game and started cooking. He finished with 14 points in the final period and 34 for the evening but only three assists.
Jayson Tatum recorded his third 40-point game in the past month, and Jaylen Brown scored 31 points on 13-for-25 shooting. Horford had 14 points and nine rebounds starting at center, as Kristaps Porziņģis remained out due to illness even though he said Friday he planned to return for this game.
Tatum played 45 minutes, a clear sign coach Joe Mazzulla is revving up his key players’ minutes ahead of the postseason.
Concerns over LeBron’s injury
The Lakers left their loss to the Celtics with far more concerns than just how they measure up against the top of the league.
After the game, coach JJ Redick acknowledged he is “obviously concerned” with James’ injury, but he had no additional information as to the severity or whether there will be a potential absence for James. Redick said the 40-year-old superstar told him, “It’s my groin,” during the timeout that preceded James’ departure. At that point, Redick mentally ruled out James for the rest of the game.
The Lakers had a valiant fourth-quarter comeback after Boston blew the game open. They got within 4 points twice before Brown and Tatum sealed the game with back-to-back 3-pointers between the 4:08 and 2:30 marks of the fourth quarter. — Jovan Buha, Lakers beat writer
How the Celtics dominated the Lakers
After a close first half, the Celtics’ defense dominated the third quarter. Brown picked up Dončić full-court. Horford made one solid play after another. Tatum rotated to swat away a Dončić layup. The Lakers scored just 2 points over the first six minutes of the third quarter and 13 total points in the period. The Celtics, who led by 4 points at halftime, built their advantage to 22 points late in the quarter.
Though Tatum and Brown engineered a consistent Celtics offense on the other end of the court, it was the relentless energy and sharp defensive execution that gave Boston separation on the scoreboard. James still nearly recorded a triple-double, but he needed 23 shots to score 22 points in an uncharacteristically inefficient shooting outing. He had two assists after the 11:02 mark in the second quarter.
Dončić got going late in the second half, but the Celtics stripped him several times while forcing him into five turnovers and taking away his playmaking opportunities.
The Celtics allowed Los Angeles to cut the margin to 4 points during the fourth quarter, but Brown and Tatum sank enough clutch shots to hold off Dončić’s charge. — Jay King, Celtics beat writer
JB sizes up the defense… and hits a big-time clutch 3 🥶
3 minutes to play on ABC! pic.twitter.com/qt1WSIlCMb
— NBA (@NBA) March 9, 2025
Required reading
(Photo: Brian Fluharty / Imagn Images)
