Saturday’s Lakers-Celtics matchup was billed as a potential NBA Finals preview. If it was a taste of what’s to come in June, Los Angeles has plenty of things it needs to work on.
The Celtics were able to take down their top rival on Saturday, winning 111-101 thanks to dominant performances from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. As the two scored a combined 71 points, Boston’s all-around effort helped it outscore Los Angeles 29-13 in the third quarter, giving the Celtics a commanding 20-point edge entering the fourth.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic, meanwhile, didn’t have their best showings in the first three quarters of Saturday’s game.