NBA
The NBA's greatest rivalry was renewed on Saturday when the Celtics hosted the Lakers. Here are three takeaways from Boston's 111-101 win. Celtics still the class of the NBA The defending champs responded from an early eight-point deficit to win their fourth consecutive game. Boston's star duo, shooting guard Jaylen Brown and small forward Jayson Tatum, combined for 71 points. Tatum had 40 points, giving him three 40-point regular-season games against the Lakers, the most in Celtics franchise history. (h/t Stathead) He added 12 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block to remind everyone that he might be the NBA's most underappreciated superstar. Brown's 31 points were his third-most against the Lakers in 16 regular-season games. The 2024 Finals MVP also chipped in with six rebounds, two assists and three steals as the Celtics turned up the defensive intensity after following the opening 12 minutes. The Celtics have stiff competition in their repeat quest, namely from the red-hot Cavaliers (53-10, first in Eastern Conference), who've won 13 in a row, and the Thunder (52-11, first in Western Conference), riding a six-game winning streak. But unlike those teams, Boston's core has years of playoff experience. With the regular season entering its final month, the Celtics are as formidable as ever. LeBron James injury puts Lakers' title dreams on pause James suffered a groin injury early in the fourth quarter and did not return. After the game, ESPN NBA reporter Dave McMenamin shared, "One source said that initial thought is that it will sideline James for a matter of weeks, not a matter of days." While it's never a good time to lose James, an absence this close to the start of the postseason is the worst thing for Los Angeles. Saturday's loss dropped the Lakers (40-22, third in Western Conference) a half-game behind the Nuggets for second place. Only two games ahead of the Rockets for the West's 5-seed, Los Angeles could soon enter a rough patch. The Lakers have three games remaining on their current road trip, including a back-to-back against the Bucks (36-26, fourth in Eastern Conference) and Nuggets (41-22) this Thursday and Friday. Lakers are Luka's show The Doncic trade keeps on giving for the Lakers. In any other season, losing James would have been a death knell. While we expect Los Angeles to take a step back with the league's all-time leading scorer sidelined, Doncic should be able to keep it competitive. The five-time All-NBA guard led the Lakers with 34 points on Saturday, shooting 11-of-22, including 5-of-10 from deep, and adding eight rebounds, three assists and a steal. Doncic has scored at least 30 points in three consecutive games and is averaging 28.5 points per game in his last eight games. The Lakers will need plenty of Luka magic while James recovers. It's a good thing the Mavericks were selling.
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