In an impressive display of skill and teamwork, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 117-96 on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 24 points, supported by Austin Reaves with 23 points, while LeBron James contributed 20 points and notched 14 rebounds. James’s performance was particularly notable as he was selected for the All-Star Game for the 21st consecutive season earlier that day.
During the game, James also achieved a career milestone, moving past Hakeem Olajuwon into seventh place for the most defensive rebounds in NBA history, raising his total to 9,720. The Lakers’ victory marked their second consecutive win after experiencing a rough patch that included four losses in six games, with the team leading by as much as 28 points in the fourth quarter.
On the Celtics’ side, Kristaps Porzingis was the top scorer with 22 points, while Jaylen Brown added 17 points. Jayson Tatum, who was also named to the All-Star Game, finished with 16 points. Boston faced a challenging schedule, playing three games in four days, and was coming off a tough overtime victory against the Clippers.
A key moment in the game came when LeBron James executed a powerful dunk to stretch the lead to 34-23 at the end of the first quarter, capping off a strong 17-5 run for the Lakers.
In a hopeful note for both teams, the Lakers and Celtics will look to maintain their momentum as they face their next opponents: the Celtics will visit Dallas, while the Lakers embark on a six-game road trip beginning with a match against Golden State.
Overall, this game was a showcase of the Lakers’ resilience and teamwork, setting a positive tone for their upcoming matches.