LOS ANGELES – Prior to Sunday afternoon’s matchup between the Celtics and Lakers, the Lakers held a ceremony honoring franchise legend Pat Riley, unveiling a nearly 8-foot-tall, 510-pound bronze statue outside Crypto.com Arena.
To close the ceremony, Riley used some of his father’s words: “The time has come to kick some ass. Kick some Boston ass.”
Unfortunately for the Lakers, the red-hot Celtics – winners of 11 of their last 14 games and eight of their last nine – were too much, cruising to a 111-89 win. With the victory, Boston swept the season series, with both wins coming by 20+ points for the first time in the history of the rivalry.
“It’s an honor. The rivalry goes back well before I was born, so to come out and compete and compete to get a W, it’s always a good atmosphere,” Jaylen Brown said when asked about the rivalry. “And it feels better when you get a win.”
Here are six takeaways as the Celtics extend their win streak to three games and, for just the third time in franchise history, complete a “California sweep,” beating the Clippers, Kings, Lakers, and Warriors.
Payton Pritchard punished the Lakers
After Pritchard drilled a fadeaway over the outstretched arms of Rui Hachimura on the block, Luke Kennard rolled his head in disbelief, shaking it all the way back on defense.
He wasn’t the only one in a yellow Lakers jersey reacting that way. Teammates mirrored the same head shakes, and fans throughout Crypto.com Arena could only stare in disbelief as Pritchard continued carving up Los Angeles’ defense.
Pritchard finished with 30 points on 10-of-14 (71.4%) shooting from the field and 6-of-9 (66.7%) from three with eight assists, four rebounds, and was a game-best +21. His 30 points were more than the Lakers’ bench unit as a whole.
In a game that featured plenty of big plays from Pritchard — a heave from the logo late in the shot clock, a jumper after sending Jarred Vanderbilt to the floor with a nasty crossover, and another trademark shot to beat the halftime buzzer — his loudest bucket came on his final one: a stepback three over Austin Reaves that had Pritchard screaming toward Reggie Miller and the broadcast table on his way back down the floor.
“You are going to have to read my lips,” Pritchard said with a smile when asked what he said to Reggie Miller. “We have a good relationship. He’s asked me to send his son ball-handling stuff and stuff like that. Definitely a relationship and something I value because it’s Reggie Miller.”
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has been on a tear since moving back to the bench following the Anfernee Simons trade. He is averaging 23.6 points (54.4% FG, 46.6% 3PT), 6.4 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in seven games off the bench this season. He has scored at least 24 points in six of those seven games and 26 or more in five. The Celtics have won six of the seven.
Since moving back to the bench, he leads all reserves in total points (165), assists (45), and made threes (27).
“Payton has caught fire this second part of the season. I think he has really figured it out. So we continue to roll with that and trust that,” Brown said. “Payton has been playing at an All-Star level, and I’m happy to see it. Nobody is happier to see it than me. So we find ways throughout the game to trust him and allow him to run the show.”
With Sunday’s performance, Pritchard joined Larry Bird and Kevin McHale as the only players in franchise history to record three straight games of at least 25 points off the bench.
Jaylen Brown gets the MVP stamp from LeBron James
Fresh off a 23-point, 15-rebound, and 13-assist triple-double against the Warriors on Thursday, Brown once again flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Now averaging 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.0 steals – a stat line matched by only one other player, Luka Doncic – Brown has played himself into MVP conversations.
Four-time MVP LeBron James said after the game that Brown deserves to be more prominent in those discussions.
“He is playing great basketball, man. This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why is name is not being talked about as well,” James said. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he’s averaging what, 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes.”
Brown is having an outstanding season. He has answered any and all questions about his ability to lead a team. But Joe Mazzulla doesn’t view Brown’s leap as simply a product of the talent lost around him. Rather, the continued evolution of his game.
“I think I would expect to see something like this regardless — just the evolution of Jaylen, regardless of the environment around him. He relishes in getting 1% better,” Mazzulla said. “And he just cares about winning. I mean, at the end of the day, he wants to win. So he does a good job assessing. He’s smart, knows the game, knows the league, knows what wins, knows what doesn’t win. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of our team.”
That evolution has been evident, particularly in his career-high 4.9 assists per game. His playmaking and ability to create for others have been on full display, elevating both his game and the team around him.
He’s reading defenses quicker, making the right pass out of double teams, and manipulating coverages instead of forcing tough shots. It’s not just about scoring bursts anymore. Brown is controlling tempo, picking his spots, and dictating matchups. The growth has turned into a complete offensive engine, one capable of carrying the load while still making everyone else better.
The Celtics continue to defend at a ridiculously high level
Boston held the Lakers to just 89 points, their second-fewest of the season, and the fewest when their trio of 20+-point scorers, LeBron James (21.7), Austin Reaves (25.6), and Luka Doncic (33.0), were available. Los Angeles shot 39.1%, their second-worst mark of the season.
“It just means that we played with a lot of effort and discipline,” Payton Pritchard said of the defensive performance. “We listened to the game plan, and we did our job.”
That effort, as it has most of the season, was spearheaded by Boston’s collection of young wings, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, and Jordan Walsh, who spent most of the night slowing down James, Doncic, and Reaves.
“Any great team has great role definition,” Joe Mazzulla said. “And in order for us to be great, we have to have those guys impacting the game at a high level on the margins. And they do a great job of that, and they take pride in that.”
The Celtics are surrendering the second-fewest points per game in the league (108.0), narrowly trailing Oklahoma City (107.7). They’ve held opponents to 100 points or fewer 14 times this season, including seven of their last 11 games, allowing a league-best 98.8 points per game over that stretch.
One of the big questions surrounding the Celtics entering this season was their ability to defend. Behind the growth and consistency of its young wings, that concern has quickly faded.
Boston’s bigs were great
Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of the Celtics’ success this season has been the consistency of Neemias Queta, who has developed into a legitimate starting-caliber center, which was on full display on Sunday afternoon.
The big man finished with a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double, marking his ninth of the season. He also added three blocks, including a chase-down on LeBron James. And his impact went beyond the box score.
Queta logged the majority of the center minutes (25), with Nikola Vucevic not far behind at 21. Vucevic contributed nine points and eight rebounds, and, as expected, his arrival has given Boston’s offense a new dimension, with his post presence and passing opening up opportunities for the team.
Luka Doncic believes Hugo Gonzalez has a bright future
For Hugo Gonzalez, Luka Doncic is a role model.
Like the rookie, Doncic developed through the Real Madrid system, becoming the youngest player in club history when he made his debut at 16.
To young players like Gonzalez, Doncic represents the gold standard. And on Sunday night, Gonzalez got the chance to face him at the NBA level for the first time, earning a nod of approval from the five-time All-NBA selection.
“We all know he’s a very high-effort player. He’s all around the court,” Doncic said. “It’s only his first year. He still has time to learn, but I think he’s going to be a very important piece for any team he plays for.”
40-20 watch
The 40-20 rule, made famous by Phil Jackson, states that legitimate NBA championship contenders must reach 40 wins before losing 20 games. Since the 1979-80 season, there have only been four expectations: the 1994-95 Houston Rockets, 2003-04 Detroit Pistons, 2005-06 Miami Heat, and 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks.
The Celtics will need to win each of their next three games, in Denver, in Phoenix, and at home against Brooklyn, to reach the mark.
However, could a team potentially getting ready to welcome back a talent like Jayson Tatum be an exception?
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