The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers renew their rivalry when they face off at TD Garden on Friday. The Lakers enter this contest having returned to winning ways with an epic 123-120 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. You wouldn’t fancy their chances of making it back-to-back triumphs on this road trip, however.
The 16-5 Lakers will once again be without Luka Doncic (personal reasons) and Marcus Smart (left lumbar muscle sprain) for this clash with the 13-9 Celtics. LeBron James (right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis) appears likely to join them on the sidelines as he has been listed as doubtful.
This game against the Celtics is the second of a back-to-back for the Lakers, and it was always likely that James would sit out for this one after playing against the Raptors. The 40-year-old had previously sat out on the first night of a back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not rule out James playing back-to-backs this season, but he did say they would have to build him up. The 21-time All-Star wasn’t a full participant at training camp and missed the first 14 games of the season due to sciatica, so the team is being cautious with him.
James hasn’t quite been at his best this season, averaging just 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. His incredible double-digit scoring streak also ended at 1,297 games after he scored just eight points against the Raptors, but he got the game-winning assist.
It would be a significant blow not to have James against the Celtics, especially with Doncic being out. The Slovenian’s fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, gave birth to their second child on Wednesday, and he is likely to miss the final game of this road trip against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday as well.
Doncic is averaging 35.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2025-26. He is the NBA’s leading scorer, but while he has been phenomenal, the Lakers have been able to win without him.
The Lakers are 4-1 without Doncic this season, and Austin Reaves is a big reason why. Reaves had 44 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists to power the Lakers to victory against the Raptors. He is now averaging 41.0 points per game this season when Doncic doesn’t play.
Reaves has shone when put in a tough situation against the Celtics in the past as well. With James and Anthony Davis being out for a game on Feb. 1, 2024, he dropped 32 points to lead the Lakers to a 114-105 win.
Will Reaves be able to repeat those feats? Well, he could potentially have a big game despite this being the second night of a road back-to-back, but despite all we just said, the chances of victory still seem a bit slim.
We mentioned the two big guns, but the Lakers are also without arguably their best defender in Smart. There are only so many absences you can overcome, especially when the opponent has a relatively clean bill of health.
The Celtics have listed only Jayson Tatum (right Achilles repair) as out for this game, which is on the second night of a back-to-back for them as well. The big question was whether Jaylen Brown would be on the injury report as well, and he isn’t.
Brown missed the Celtics’ 146-101 win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday due to illness. If he weren’t playing, then perhaps you would have tilted the scales in the Lakers’ favor.
Brown is averaging 29.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Celtics in 2025-26. He has stepped up in Tatum’s absence and has quieted many of his doubters. That illness means Brown is well-rested for this clash as well.
The Celtics also enter this game with a lot of momentum. They have won three in a row and five of their last six. The Celtics have beaten the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks in this stretch. It’s hard to see them lay an egg against the Lakers when this game tips off at 7 PM ET, with the kind of run they’re on.
