The number two seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences of the NBA play each other when the defending NBA champions, Boston Celtics, host the streaking Los Angeles Lakers at the TD Garden in Boston on Sunday morning. The Celtics have won three on the bounce, including a victory over the Western Conference third seed Denver Nuggets. The Lakers, rejuvenated since the Luka Doncic trade, visit Boston on the back of an 8-game streak. The game will certainly be high-quality, with the extra excitement of witnessing another instalment of the Doncic vs Celtics rivalry that exploded at last year’s NBA Finals when the Celtics had Luka’s number. The Boston Celtics are huge favorites to win on the money line.
Bet on Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers with 1xBet
BASKETBALL: NBA Regular Season
Where to Watch: ABC
Venue: TD Garden Center, Boston
Date: 09.03.2025 04:30
Boston Celtics
The Defending NBA champions have returned to regular programming after last week’s blip that resulted in consecutive losses to the Detroit Pistons and the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. Three straight wins against the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, and a 123-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers means the Celtics are 45-18 and second in the East. Jayson Tatum led the short-handed Celtics with 35 points and seven rebounds. Payton Pritchard added 19 points, and Derrick White contributed 12 points, so the Celtics won for the ninth time in eleven games. The champions were without Jaylen Brown, True Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Sam Hauser.
Lakers coach JJ Redick has leaned into a strategy of challenging opponents' weaker 3-point shooters by aggressively playing off them, guarding the interior and relying on their longer and more athletic lineup to close out on shooters.
LA Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers (40-21, second in the Western Conference) beat the New York Knicks in overtime Friday night for their eighth straight victory. Luka Doncic and LeBron James inspired the Lakers to overcome a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter and clinch the overtime victory. Doncic had 32 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds, while LeBron James finished with 31 points. Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht added 12 and 11 points, respectively, from the bench.
One of the reasons there has been some skepticism that the Lakers can keep this up over the long haul is they have several weaker defenders, teams, in theory, can exploit. It was a regular occurrence to see opponents isolate both Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. The Lakers lost one of the game's best rim defenders when they traded Davis and couldn't acquire a true replacement when their deal for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams was undone.
Betting Odds
The Los Angeles Lakers are 3,215 underdogs on 1xbet, with the Boston Celtics overcoming the (-7) handicap at 1.926 odds. Betway has over 225.5 at 1.77 with the under at 1.80. Luka Doncic is 1.90 to score over 28.5 points on Bet365, with Jayson Tatum at 1.90 to hit over 26.5 points. Read more here.
Bet on Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers with 1xBet
