By Matija Šerić
In the biggest NBA derby on Sunday, February 22, the Boston Celtics dominated the Los Angeles Lakers on the road with a convincing 111–89 victory. This is the Celtics’ second win over the Lakers this season, having also beaten them 126–105 at home on December 5. More important than the victory itself are the impressions and lessons we can draw from it. In short: even without their star Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are among the challengers to the Pistons in the East, while the Lakers, with a healthy trio of Dončić-LeBron-Reaves, are light-years away from being contenders against Oklahoma in the West.
The League’s Greatest Rivalry
Whenever we discuss a matchup between the Lakers and Celtics, it’s important to remember that these two teams have a combined total of 35 NBA championships—Celtics 18, Lakers 17. No one comes close. However, Sunday’s game was far from a championship-level contest. Except for the opening, it was a one-way street. The first quarter ended 28–28, halftime was 60–50 for the visitors, and by the end of the third quarter, the Celtics led 84–71. The Lakers collapsed in the third period, while the fourth was mere formality, allowing the Celtics to claim a 22-point win.
Brilliant Brown-Pritchard Duo
The phenomenal Jaylen Brown took matters into his own hands, as he has throughout the season. He scored 32 points (including three three-pointers), grabbed eight rebounds, dished out seven assists, and stole three balls. He once again showed he can take on some of Tatum’s responsibilities on the court and fill in effectively. Brown is thriving this season.
Payton Pritchard, coming off the bench, was also brilliant—a sixth man any team would want. In 38 minutes of play, he scored 30 points, including six three-pointers, and added eight assists and four rebounds. The Lakers’ defense had no answer for the 28-year-old shooter/playmaker in career-best form. In the second half, both Brown and Pritchard scored 19 points each, which proved decisive. Pritchard’s streak of threes especially served as a demoralizing factor for the Lakers.
Team Effort by the Celtics
Center Neemias Queta excelled with 12 rebounds and 10 points, while Derrick White contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. Newly acquired Montenegrin center Nikola Vučević (traded from the Bulls on February 5) also had a solid showing, scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds in 21 minutes. Sam Hauser hit two crucial three-pointers, and the rest of the Celtics fulfilled their roles.
The Dončić-LBJ-Reaves Trio Fell Short
It’s fair to say that only three Lakers really played in this game. Luka Dončić scored 25 points with five rebounds and three assists. LeBron James added 20 points (1 of 5 from three-point range, surpassing 43,000 career points), five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Austin Reaves contributed 15 points (1 of 4 from three) with seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal, but was largely invisible in the second half.
This was only the 12th game this season featuring the starting trio of Dončić, LeBron, and Reaves. The big three missed shots they shouldn’t have, though at least they made some. All other Lakers combined scored only 29 points, and starter Marcus Smart didn’t make a single basket. This ranks as the Lakers’ second-lowest scoring game this season.
Lakers Lack Energy, Celtics Inspire
The Lakers repeatedly lost their composure and incurred three technical fouls after a series of questionable calls. However, the referees are not to blame for the convincing loss—the fault lies with the players themselves. To make matters worse, reserve center Jaxson Hayes was injured near the end of the first half.
The Lakers played poorly on defense, allowing the Celtics to shoot 48% from the field, including 14 three-pointers. In the paint, the Celtics grabbed 50 rebounds to the Lakers’ 39. The visitors recorded 29 assists compared to 18 for the home team, illustrating who played as a cohesive unit and who relied on individual superstars.
The Lakers seemed lethargic, as if they had already given up, rather than playing in the NBA’s biggest derby. The Celtics’ inspired performance, full of threes and highlight dunks, energized the visiting fans—at times, the atmosphere felt more like TD Garden than the Crypto.com Arena.
Celtics on the Rise, Lakers Facing Challenges
This marks Boston’s third consecutive win and their eighth victory in nine games. With this streak, the Celtics sit second in the Eastern Conference (37–19), five wins behind Detroit (42–13). If they continue like this through the regular season, they could move closer to the top spot. When Tatum returns, they will be a team capable of contending for the title.
On the other hand, the Lakers have a 6–4 record in their last ten games and stand fifth in the Western Conference with a 34–22 overall record. However, they need to start playing seriously as a team to secure a top-six spot and avoid the play-in tournament. With such a passive approach, the Lakers cannot go far in the playoffs. Immediate changes are necessary.
