The Boston Celtics continued their surge in the Eastern Conference with a 111-89 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Boston swept the season series in the league’s most storied rivalry and has now won three straight and eight of its last nine. The victory keeps the Celtics within reach of Detroit for the top spot in the East.
Jaylen Brown led the way with 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The All-Star wing went 10-of-28 from the field and 9-of-12 at the free-throw line, attacking downhill and drawing contact in the second half.
Payton Pritchard delivered 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. The reserve guard added eight assists and posted a team-best plus-21 in 38 minutes.
Brown and Pritchard scored 19 points each after halftime. Pritchard capped the performance with a step-back 3-pointer with 3:24 remaining, prompting Los Angeles to clear its bench.
Boston shot 48% from the field and assisted on 29 of its 40 made baskets. The visitors also controlled the glass with a 50-39 rebounding edge and limited the Lakers to 39% shooting.
Los Angeles was held to its second-lowest point total of the season. The home team made just 9-of-30 attempts from beyond the arc and committed eight turnovers.
Luka Doncic paced the Lakers with 25 points on 9-of-22 shooting. LeBron James added 20 points and reached the 43,000-point milestone in his career while appearing in his 1,600th regular-season game.
James became only the second player in NBA history to reach 1,600 regular-season games, joining Robert Parish. Austin Reaves contributed 15 points, but the Lakers struggled to generate consistent offense in the half court.
The Western Conference contender also lost backup center Jaxson Hayes to an ankle injury before halftime. Los Angeles, which had won six of its previous eight, fell short at home against a title-caliber opponent for the third time in two weeks.
Boston led comfortably for much of the second half and maintained defensive pressure on the perimeter. The Celtics forced contested jumpers and limited second-chance opportunities.
Earlier in the evening, the Lakers honored former coach Pat Riley with a halftime ceremony following the unveiling of his bronze statue outside the arena.
Next, Boston travels to face the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Los Angeles returns home to host the Orlando Magic the same night.
