Boston Celtics (37-19) beat Los Angeles Lakers (34-22) 111-89 on the road on Sunday, February 22. The final margin was 22 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The teams matched each other with 28 points apiece in the first quarter, leaving it level at 28. The Celtics moved in front with a 32-22 second quarter, carrying a 10-point lead into halftime.
The Celtics won the third 24-21 to create some separation, taking a 13-point lead into the fourth. The Celtics took the fourth 27-18; the Celtics finished the job for a 111-89 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Celtics got more from their shots, finishing at 56.6% effective field-goal shooting compared with 44.3% for the Lakers. The Celtics made 20.5 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 13.8 for the Lakers. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Lakers did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 8.4 against 14.4. The Celtics made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 96 possessions per team, the Celtics produced 115.5 points per 100 possessions to 92.6 for the Lakers.
Who stood out
Payton Pritchard was the game's biggest individual force for BOS: 30 pts, 4 reb, 8 ast on 10-14 shooting. His Game Score of 26.2 led everyone. His team was +21 with him on the floor.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 20 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast on 9-21 shooting, good for a 15.7 Game Score.
Neemias Queta (10 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 53% for the Celtics.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Boston Celtics lead 2-1.
The Celtics are now 37-19, and the Lakers are 34-22. The Celtics last five before this game: W-W-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.