LOS ANGELES — — Jaylen Brown had 32 factors, eight rebounds and 7 assists, and the Boston Celtics swept the season sequence within the NBA’s most storied rivalry with a 111-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night time.
Payton Pritchard scored 30 factors with six 3-pointers and eight assists for the Celtics, who’ve received three straight and eight of 9 as they try to shut the hole on Detroit atop the Eastern Conference standings.
Brown and Pritchard scored 19 factors apiece within the second half, and Pritchard wrapped up the win on a step-back 3-pointer with 3:24 to play, prompting the Lakers to empty their bench amid scattered boos.
Luka Doncic had 25 factors and LeBron James acquired the 43,000th level of his profession whereas scoring 20 for the Lakers, who fell short at home in opposition to a probable NBA title contender for the third time in two weeks. Los Angeles was held to its second-lowest level complete of the season.
Austin Reaves added 15 factors for the Lakers, who additionally repeatedly misplaced their cool and acquired whistled for 3 technical fouls after a sequence of questionable calls.
Boston nursed a strong lead all through the second half and had little bother controlling the newest assembly between historic franchises with a mixed 35 NBA titles.
The Lakers honored Pat Riley throughout a halftime ceremony after unveiling a bronze statue of their former coach exterior their downtown area. Riley received six championship rings throughout his 20 years in Los Angeles, together with 9 seasons and 4 titles as the top coach of the Nineteen Eighties Showtime Lakers.
Doncic, James and Reaves performed collectively for under the twelfth time this season with the Lakers largely again to full well being — however then Los Angeles misplaced backup middle Jaxson Hayes to an ankle damage earlier than halftime.
The Celtics beat the Lakers 126-105 in Boston final December whereas Doncic and James have been out.
While James prolonged his NBA scoring document to a different milestone quantity, he additionally performed in his 1,600th regular-season sport to affix Celtics nice Robert Parish (1,611) as the one NBA gamers to succeed in the mark.
Celtics: At Phoenix on Tuesday.
Lakers: Host Orlando on Tuesday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
