Celtics dominate Lakers without LeBron James and Luka Dončić on Friday

The Boston Celtics cruised past the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, taking advantage of a Lakers roster missing several of their top players. LeBron James, Luka Doni, and Marcus Smart were all sidelined, leaving the Lakers shorthanded against their long-time rivals.

James was ruled out due to right sciatica and left arthritis, while Smart was dealing with a left lumbar muscle strain. Doni missed the game as he was in Slovenia for the birth of his second child.

From the opening quarter, the Celtics controlled the game, opening a 39-17 lead. They stretched the advantage to as much as 29 points and maintained a comfortable double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the match. Every starter for Boston scored in double figures, with Sam Hauser adding another double-digit performance off the bench.

Jaylen Brown was the standout performer, recording 30 points on 10-of-22 shooting, along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. His playmaking included a notable assist to Derrick White that left Lakers forward Jake LaRavia behind on the court.

For the Lakers, Austin Reaves carried much of the offensive load, scoring 36 points on 9-of-18 shooting and contributing eight assists. He is now averaging an impressive 40 points per game in the five games Doni has missed.

James had recently returned from a noteworthy performance the previous night, but Fridays back-to-back game proved challenging for the 40-year-old. This season, he has played in only six of the Lakers 21 games due to sciatica, averaging just 14 points per gamehis lowest since his rookie year.

Despite the loss, the Lakers remain competitive in the Western Conference standings with a 16-6 record, tied for second behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Author: Olivia Parker