The Boston Celtics celebrated NBA Christmas Day with a team effort, leading to a remarkable 126-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Kristaps Porzingis starred with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and all five Celtics starters scored at least 18 points in the win.
Jayson Tatum contributed 25 points, while Jaylen Brown and Derrick White added 19 and 18 points, respectively, with White also notching 11 assists. This win marks Boston’s third consecutive victory and their 12th win in the last 14 games.
Jrue Holiday, who scored 18 points and seven assists, highlighted the team’s mindset, emphasizing the importance of pushing the pace and sharing the ball. This approach resulted in a balanced scoring effort, with every starter actively contributing.
“Honestly, we all know that if we push the pace, one of us is gonna get a shot,” Holiday said. “And I feel like when we have that energy, and you know if I run to my spot and I run to my lanes, I’m gonna get the ball, it just makes everybody do it and do it that much harder.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics Updates
Anthony Davis led with 40 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, while LeBron James added 16 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. However, Los Angeles has struggled recently, losing six of their last eight games since their victory in the In-Season Tournament.
James pointed out the team’s health and consistency issues, acknowledging that they are still trying to figure out their approach to each game.
“I don’t think we’re healthy right now. I don’t think we’re where we want to be to compete versus the top teams until we continue to get better and better, continue to work out habits,” James said. “For us, we’re still trying to figure our situation out as far as how we want to continue to attack each game, but we’ll get better.”
This Christmas Day game marked the third meeting between the two storied franchises on this holiday, with the Lakers previously winning in 1951 and 2008. The Celtics started strong, leading by 18 points in the first quarter. Boston briefly lost the lead early in the third quarter but quickly regained it with a seven-point run. They maintained their advantage throughout the final quarter despite Davis’s impressive scoring.
The Celtics’ efficient start and finish to the game were highlighted by each starter scoring at least four points in the first and fourth quarters. Porzingis noted that the victory could have been even more decisive with better three-point shooting.
“Very happy about the game we had as a team,” Porzingis said. “And honestly, we played really good basketball. We just did not make, or we did not shoot what we normally shoot from outside. But other than that, I think we played really well.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics Updates
Meanwhile, the Lakers could not capitalize on their superior long-range shooting, hampered by a series of errors outlined by coach Darvin Ham. Davis reflected on the small mistakes that significantly impacted the game, including a missed free throw that led to a Celtics’ fast-break three-pointer.
“You always think about shots you could have made, defensive plays you could have made, rebounds you could have had, free throws I could have made, things like that that could have changed the game,” Davis said. “I missed a free throw in the third quarter, and they ended up getting a fast-break 3, and all I was thinking was if I make the free throw, that doesn’t happen.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Updates
Both teams experienced a tense moment when Brown and James collided in the second quarter, but both players returned to the court after receiving attention.
Looking ahead, the Celtics will host the Detroit Pistons, while the Lakers will face the Charlotte Hornets, both games scheduled for Thursday.
