LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis scored 24 points, and Austin Reaves added 23 as the Los Angeles Lakers secured a commanding 117-96 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
LeBron James contributed 20 points and 14 rebounds, marking the same day he was named to the All-Star Game for the 21st consecutive season.
Early in the third quarter, James surpassed Hakeem Olajuwon to claim seventh place in NBA history for defensive rebounds, reaching a career total of 9,720. He entered the game needing six rebounds to overtake the Hall of Fame center.
Kristaps Porziņģis led the Celtics with 22 points, while Jaylen Brown added 17. Despite a strong effort, Boston couldn’t overcome Los Angeles, which built a lead as large as 28 points in the fourth quarter. The Lakers, rebounding from a recent stretch of losing four out of six games, have now won two straight.
Takeaways
Celtics: Jayson Tatum, also named an All-Star, finished with 16 points. Boston wrapped up a grueling stretch of three games in four days, including a 117-113 overtime win against the Clippers on Wednesday.
Lakers: Gabe Vincent tied his season high with four 3-pointers and finished with 12 points. The Lakers matched their season high for three-pointers in a half, draining 11 in the first two quarters. They shot 15 of 35 from beyond the arc for the game.
Key Moment
LeBron James drove past Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser for a powerful dunk with 8.9 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The play capped a 17-5 Lakers run, giving them a 34-23 lead to close the period.
Key Stat
Bronny James made his second consecutive appearance, playing four minutes and going 0-for-1 from the field.
Up Next
Both teams play again on Saturday. The Celtics will visit Dallas, while the Lakers begin a six-game road trip against the Golden State Warriors.
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