Observations from a Marquee Lakers-Celtics Matchup

Luka’s Finals flashback, LeBron’s injury, and a late push that wasn’t enough

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Earlier this season, when the Mavericks faced the Celtics without Luka Dončić, sidelined with a calf injury, I wrote about the lessons from their Finals rematch. That game offered a glimpse into how the then still-contending Mavericks stacked up against the ultimate measuring stick for title hopefuls: the defending champion Boston Celtics.

A month and a half and some seismic changes later, it was time for Dončić to face his Finals demons, this time with the added weight of the storied Lakers-Celtics rivalry. This game served as a litmus test for Dončić and his surging Lakers, riding an eight-game winning streak, to see how they measured up against a true title contender—and their ultimate rivals.

In the end, the details, the Celtics' overall talent, and the performance of their star duo decided the game in their favor, as they defeated the undermanned Lakers 111-101. However, the game offered some hints at how close—or how far—both teams are from potentially meeting again on the biggest stage in June.

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Today’s highlights:

1. Playoff-like build-up, intensity, and an iso-ball fest

2. Luka's Finals ghosts vs. Jaylen Brown

3. Adjustments, the fight back, and hope to build on for the future (🎞️VIDEO)

4. Vanderbilt and Goodwin: awesome hustle, but playoff doubts remain

5. LeBron's groin strain concern ahead of a packed schedule

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1-Playoff-like build-up, intensity, and an iso-ball fest

Make no mistake, with Dončić added to the always-heated Lakers-Celtics rivalry, this was the most anticipated game of the season. It was the most expensive NBA game this season by average ticket price, with a pair of courtside seats selling for $23,000 each—the most expensive ticket in Celtics history.

And it wasn’t just Boston fans who were hyped for the game—Joe Mazzulla and his Celtics approached it like a playoff matchup, even talking about a legacy game. Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and Al Horford were all rested in the previous game, and Jrue Holiday returned just in time for this one. Jayson Tatum logged a season-high 45 minutes, Brown played 42, the 38-year-old Horford went for 37, and all five Celtics starters played at least 35.

Both teams relentlessly hunted matchups, playing isolation basketball like it was a key playoff game from the opening possession. According to Second Spectrum tracking data, there were 74 isolation plays in this game—the second-highest of any game this season. The only game with more was another highly anticipated matchup: Dončić’s first game against his former team, the Mavericks, which featured 83.

And for most of the game, the Celtics and their defenders under the most pressure, particularly Horford, looked more comfortable than Dončić and Austin Reaves, who were put in a similar position on the other end in this setup.

2-Luka's Finals ghosts vs. Jaylen Brown

Brown's physical defense in the Finals, and Dončić’s response to it, was supposedly one of the reasons behind Nico Harrison's decision to send him to LA in exchange for Anthony Davis. And Dončić didn’t do much to dispute that criticism early in this game. Brown was all over him from the start, and Dončić struggled to adjust to the intensity and physicality of the game. Dončić had three possessions in the first quarter where he was stripped by Brown or other Celtics defenders as he drove into them. All three fumbles led to easy transition buckets on the other end, a key reason the Celtics stayed within reach despite the Lakers' early shot-making.

Dončić, who admitted he was dealing with back problems in this game, likely a result of a dangerous Kris Dunn play a week ago, lacked the burst to punish Horford when switched onto him and force Mazzulla into adjustments and more aggressive rotations. To be fair, the other two Lakers ball handlers, LeBron and Reaves, didn’t fare any better when attacking Horford or other Celtics defenders in isolation. Jayson Tatum, on the other hand, had a strong shooting night, especially in the first half when he scored 22 of his 40 points on 8-of-16 shooting.

J.J. Redick pointed out the Lakers' lack of thrust and force, as well as the "brain fog" in their execution, which made their stagnant offense especially problematic in the third quarter when the Celtics built a 22-point lead. Partially, this was due to the Lakers missing two key starters (see fourth point), but there were simply too many possessions without rim pressure or even a paint touch, often ending in a pull-up three.

3-Adjustments, the fight back, and hope to build on for the future (🎞️VIDEO)

Despite missing two starters, Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura, despite losing LeBron James to a fourth-quarter groin injury (see fifth point), and despite facing a 22-point deficit, the Lakers showed the key ingredient of their recent success—they kept playing hard.

Redick also made adjustments, such as setting up empty-side isos and placing ball screens higher to give Dončić better looks by attacking in more space. He also noted how Dončić moved better after the break, creating more separation against Horford and Derrick White.

Dončić highlighted another key factor, playing with more pace, as a crucial element of the Lakers' late run, which cut the big deficit to just four points. At the end it was not enough, they fell short of a full comeback after missing a couple of open looks down the stretch.

Dončić's 23 second-half points on 8-of-14 shooting (he finished the night with 34 points, 8 rebounds, but only 3 assists) were a positive sign that he can still score effectively, even against the Celtics while being shadowed and bodied by Brown. The key for him is to continue to make physical progress and regain the burst needed to force the Celtics out of their comfort zone when defending him with Horford after a switch.

4-Vanderbilt and Goodwin: awesome hustle, but playoff doubts remain (🎞️VIDEO)