Lakers Vs Celtics After LeBron James’ Historic Scoring Streak Ends

 

One night after LeBron James’ NBA-record streak of 1,297 consecutive games with double-digit scoring came to an end, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to keep their momentum going when they visit the Boston Celtics on Friday.

The Lakers earned a 123-120 road win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, with James assisting on Rui Hachimura’s game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. James scored just eight points, marking the first time since 2007 that he did not reach double digits. He shot 4 of 17 from the field and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.

Despite the streak ending, James had no regrets about passing the ball instead of taking the shot himself. Hachimura, rather than teammate Austin Reaves—who had a monster game with 44 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists—became the hero.

"Just playing the game the right way," James said. "You always make the right play. That’s how I was taught. Once they doubled Reaves and the ball came to me, we had a 4-on-3 advantage, and I just wanted to put the ball on time and on target."

Lakers coach JJ Redick praised the play, saying, "The basketball gods, if you do it the right way, they tend to reward you."

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Lakers May Be Without Luka Doncic Again

Reaves and Hachimura may need to step up again if Luka Doncic misses a second consecutive game. Doncic was absent on Thursday for personal reasons, reportedly in Slovenia for the birth of a child. His return date is uncertain, but Redick said, "We hope to get him back soon. Don’t have a pinpointed day."

The Lakers also played without veteran guard Marcus Smart, who sat out for a fourth straight game for back injury management and is considered day-to-day. Smart spent the first nine years of his NBA career with the Celtics.

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Celtics Overcome Jaylen Brown’s Absence

The Celtics also had to play without their top scorer, Jaylen Brown, who sat out due to illness. Despite his absence, Boston dominated the Washington Wizards 146-101 on Thursday.

Jordan Walsh had a breakout performance, scoring 22 points on 8-for-8 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds. Walsh has now made 13 consecutive shots from the floor.

"Honestly, I forget what happens on offense because I’m so focused on defense," Walsh said. "Defense always sticks with me."

Coach Joe Mazzulla praised Walsh: "Jordan set the tone on both ends. He was unscreenable and made great defensive plays."

Since Walsh was moved into the starting lineup, Boston has gone 8-2.

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Historic Lakers-Celtics Matchup

The Celtics and Lakers have a long-standing rivalry, splitting their two-game regular-season series in seven of the past eight seasons. The only exception was Boston’s sweep in 2022-23.

Friday’s matchup promises to be exciting, with both teams dealing with injuries but still boasting talent capable of delivering a thrilling game.

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