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.

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

As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare to take on the Boston Celtics, the team is preparing to play without LeBron James.

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.

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.

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.

Celtics star Jaylen Brown took care of business against the Lakers, as Boston continued its high-effort approach to success.

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 guard Bronny James played the final seven minutes of his team's 126-105 road loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday evening.

The Los Angeles Lakers (16-5) take on the Boston Celtics (13-9) Friday at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET (Prime Video). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NBA odds around the Lakers vs. Celtics odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

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.