Friday night at TD Garden will showcase one of, and perhaps the most iconic, rivalries in sports history. The Boston Celtics will square off against the Los Angeles Lakers. It's a battle between two teams that are red hot right now.
These storied franchises have both won eight of their last 10 tilts. The purple and gold are second in the Western Conference. Boston has surged into fifth in the East. The latter is just 1.5 games behind the second-seeded New York Knicks.
Both sides enter Friday night's rivalry clash on the second half of a back-to-back. Jaylen Brown sat out Boston's 146-101 bludgeoning of the Washington Wizards due to a non-COVID illness. Fortunately for the hosts, he will return against Los Angeles.
The former Finals MVP, who has played in every other matchup this season, has been shining while shouldering more offensive responsibility in Jayson Tatum's absence.
The four-time All-Star is averaging 29 points and 4.8 assists, which would represent career-highs for a single season. He is also grabbing 6.0 rebounds per contest. Brown is taking 21.7 shots per game, easily the most of his 10 years in the Association; he's burying them at a 50 percent clip.
Beyond those traditional stats, the former All-NBA Second Team selection is doing an impressive job of balancing when his team needs him to score and when to leverage the attention he draws to create for others.
“I’m still growing, to be honest.”
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) December 3, 2025
Jaylen Brown discusses his continued evolution, balancing when to be aggressive and when the right read is to facilitate for his teammates. pic.twitter.com/iAvAmuIvo5
"I'm still growing, to be honest," Brown said of his maturation after generating 42 points and four assists, repeatedly trusting his teammates when the New York Knicks doubled him in the final frame of the Celtics' 123-117 win.
Now he gets to continue showcasing that growth on a national stage in a battle between Boston and LA.
Who's on the Lakers' injury report?
As for the visitors, Luka Doncic will not be in the lineup for them on Friday. It's for good reason. The five-time All-NBA First Team selection, who also missed Thursday's buzzer-beating win over the Toronto Raptors, and his wife recently welcomed their second child.
Former Celtic Marcus Smart is also out due to a left lumbar muscle strain, per the team's injury report, via Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation. He has not played in Los Angeles's last four contests.
Unfortunately for those hoping to see LeBron James take to the TD Garden parquet for possibly the final time, LA lists him as doubtful. The four-time league MVP is dealing with right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis.
James logged 36 minutes against the Raptors, and while he didn't reach double-digits, he delivered the game-winning assist. James found Rui Hachimura for a corner three in the closing seconds, propelling the Lakers to a 123-120 win.
Friday's rivalry clash at TD Garden will tip off at 7:00 p.m. EST.