The Celtics Just Made LeBron and Luka Look Lost. Boston Is Still the Standard.

But the more interesting story might be Payton Pritchard off the bench, who dropped 30 points in a blitz performance that absolutely nobody on the Lakers' roster had an answer for. Pritchard is having one of the most quietly excellent bench seasons in the league — he's shooting 43% from three on high volume and his chemistry with Jaylen Brown in the two-man game is elite-level stuff. When Boston can get 30 from a guy coming off the bench in a game Tatum is presumably resting, that's a depth problem for literally every other team [2].

What Went Wrong for LeBron and Luka

LeBron had 20 points and Luka had 25. The box score doesn't look catastrophic. But watch the game film — or honestly, just watch the second quarter — and you see exactly what Boston was doing. They were taking away every early action that the Lakers run to get their stars the ball in comfortable spots. When LeBron or Luka had to create from scratch in the half-court, against a defense that was switched, physical, and playing with a clear plan, things broke down quickly. Turnovers in transition. Bad decisions in the pick-and-roll. Three-point attempts that were a step short of the rhythm that makes them so dangerous [1].

This is the Lakers' real problem, and it's been hiding in plain sight for most of the season: they don't have the half-court infrastructure to consistently get LeBron and Luka into their spots against a top-five defense. In the regular season, most teams aren't disciplined enough to expose that. Boston is. And come May, if these two teams meet in the playoffs, the Celtics are going to run the exact same game plan — and do it for seven games instead of one [1].

The Celtics Are Still the Standard

Let's be direct: Boston is playing at a level right now that no team in the league is consistently matching. Their defense is still elite — top three in defensive rating — and on nights when Brown or Pritchard are running hot, they can score with anybody. They've got Tatum who wasn't even in tonight's box score at his peak, playing as the steady hand rather than the guy who needs 35 to win. That's not a vulnerability. That's depth [2].

The case for Boston winning it all this year is pretty straightforward: they've been here before, they know how to build a playoff game plan over multiple series, and their core group has championship experience. They got bounced by Dallas last year in the Finals — which stings — but they made adjustments, came back hungry, and they haven't shown any signs of regression. If anything, Pritchard's development gives them a weapon they didn't have in 2025 [3].

What This Means for the Playoff Picture

The Lakers are 34-22. That's fine — they're a playoff team, they're probably a top-four seed in the West, and LeBron and Luka are generationally talented enough to get hot at the right time. I'm not writing their obituary. But if you're a Lakers fan, tonight was a reminder that "generational talent" doesn't automatically equal "championship roster." Anthony Davis has been inconsistent all year. The bench depth behind Reaves and whoever else they're running out there is a legitimate question mark [3].

Meanwhile in the East, the Cavaliers just lost their first game since the Harden trade — dropping to the Thunder tonight. It's one loss. But it's also a data point. Every contender is navigating the stretch run right now, figuring out what they actually are before the playoffs start. For Boston, tonight's answer was clear: they're the best team in basketball. The rest of the league just got reminded.

You either outplay Boston's defense, or Boston's defense plays you. There's no middle ground.

— Big Guy's honest postgame take

One More Thing

Just a quiet footnote on a loud night: Payton Pritchard dropping 30 in a showcase win over the Lakers is exactly the kind of game that reminds you how deep this Celtics roster is. He's making a case to be in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation — and honestly, if the Celtics win the title, he might be the unsung MVP of their run. Filed that away for later [2].

The Celtics are the standard. Tonight, against the most hyped team in basketball, they showed exactly why.