The Celtics will be finishing out a tough five games in seven nights stretch on Friday but will do so against a shorthanded Lakers squad. Luka Doncic (personal) and Marcus Smart (back) were declared out for the matchup this afternoon. Smart has not played since Nov. 25 due to the injury.

The Celtics are a flawed roster from a construction standpoint, but there’s nothing particularly confusing about why they are winning games. The post Jaylen Brown scores 30 as Celtics blow out Lakers for fourth straight win: 8 takeaways appeared first on Boston.

Jaylen Brown had 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and the Boston Celtics cruised past Los Angeles 126-105 on Friday night, with the Lakers playing without LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

Luka Dončić missed the team’s most recent game, a three-point victory over the Toronto Raptors Thursday, Dec. 4, because of personal reasons.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James seems like a long shot to play in Friday's game against the Boston Celtics.

Is Luka Doncic playing tonight vs. the Celtics? Here’s the latest injury update as the Lakers star’s status comes down to game time.

The Boston Celtics routed the undermanned Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night to earn their fourth straight win.

BOSTON — The Celtics dominated the Lakers 126-105 on Friday at TD Garden, overwhelming the shorthanded visitors. The C’s won their fourth straight game to improve to 14-9. The Lakers dropped to 16-6 in a crowded West standings.

The Spurs are 4-1 over the last five games and advancing in the NBA Cup after a win over the Lakers. Since losing Victor Wembanyama for 12 games, the Spurs have gone 9-3 compared to 7-4 with him. San Antonio boasts the seventh-best offensive rating over the last 12 games, but ranks 22nd in defensive rating without their franchise player.