Jaylen Brown led the Boston Celtics with 30 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists as the team dominated the Los Angeles Lakers 126-105 at TD Garden on Friday night.
Brown downplayed the absence of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, saying, “Just another game… my job is to go out there, help my team get wins, and that’s what we did tonight.”
The Celtics veteran reflected on the historic rivalry, noting the energy and atmosphere in Boston. “Every experience Celtics-Lakers… you could feel the atmosphere… as a player, what better environment for basketball do you want?” Brown said.
Brown has also been creating more opportunities for teammates recently. “Just making the right play… watching a lot of film, seeing where I can get my guys more involved… that’s a great sign for our team when Payton, Derrick, Sam, and Anfernee are hitting threes,” he explained.
He emphasized the gradual improvement of the team’s new additions. “We had five or six new players… we’ve been getting better every single day and it’s coming together now, but we still got a lot of work to do,” Brown said.
Brown stressed the importance of focusing on effort over results during Boston’s nine-of-11 stretch. “The expectation level has always been the same in my brain… focus on winning each possession, being a harder playing team… that’s how you build a really good team,” he noted.
Watching teammates thrive also excites Brown. He highlighted Derrick White’s recent form: “Derrick is finding his stride… that’s a good sign for our team.” He also praised Jordan Walsh, who has been nearly unstoppable, adding, “It’s been great… we’re going to need him to maintain that.”
Boston’s offensive performance was led by sharp shooting and ball movement. The team made a season-high 24 three-pointers and dished out 31 assists, building a 29-point lead in the second quarter and never trailing. White added 19 points, including five three-pointers, while Walsh contributed 17.
The Lakers, missing James and Doncic, struggled to keep pace despite Austin Reaves’ 36 points and Gabe Vincent’s 18. Rui Hachimura scored 13, and Deandre Ayton grabbed 10 rebounds, but Los Angeles could not match Boston’s offensive efficiency or defensive intensity.
Boston’s defense forced 14 turnovers, turning them into fast-break opportunities, while contributions off the bench from Neemias Queta (10 points, six rebounds) and Payton Pritchard (15 points, six assists) reinforced the team’s balanced attack.
The Celtics (14-9) will travel to Toronto on Sunday, aiming to extend their four-game winning streak, while the Lakers (16-6) return home to face Philadelphia, seeking to recover from a rare double-digit loss.
